Crimson Reflections
by LittoGrrlStephie
Summary: Centuries ago, Vampire Lord Battousai killed a Royal, who vowed to return and get revenge. Her reincarnation has arrived, but this time her death will be his ultimate despair. Can she go through with her vow or will someone do it for her?
1. Prologue

**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, or any of its characters. I've gathered Vampire facts around the web so therefore I take no credit on that part, but I do own the plot.

_**Summary: **Centuries ago, Vampire Lord Battousai killed a Royal, who vowed to return and get revenge. Her reincarnation has arrived, but this time her death will be his ultimate despair. Can she go through with her vow or will someone do it for her?_

**Crimson Reflections**

_**Written By LittoGrrlStephie**_

xXx

_**Prologue**_

xXx

It was raining–-raining blood. Thunder had become the beating drum for the battle as lightning lit the way for the warriors to travel in the darkness, but one side had the advantage of being able to see clearly in the dark. The Moon was hidden behind the clouds, shining a deadly red like the ground. Cries of terror, screams of agony, and the stench of death lingered in the air as the night grew darker and darker until there was nothing left but the shadows. Even the castle, which stood on the hill that over looked all of Japan, seemed to be enveloped in the black aura that was traveling like a deadly epidemic.

The once heavenly kingdom of Japan was now just a faint memory locked within the minds of the people, whom refused to believe that their world was being destroyed and conquered by the very creatures that they had once forced into oblivion.

After centuries of being locked away and forgotten, the Damned have finally resurfaced. The day in which they fought back and returned from their hell was forever remembered by all. January 1, 2225 marked the beginning of the Vampires' reign upon the Earth, the day in which their kind had finally been able to come out into the open once again. But before the Vampires could call themselves the dominant species, they had to get rid of the highest of the old dominant creatures: the Royals of Japan.

In the year 2083, Japan had taken the liberty of conquering the world with their weapons of mass destruction as a major threat. When no one would go up against them, due to the fear of destroying everyone on the planet, Japan had gone back to their old ways with an emperor controlling the entire country, but instead of holding power over just Japan, the Emperor controlled the entire world.

The other countries were also allowed to have their own leaders, whom all worked with the Emperor to create a better world. Once the Royal Family had proven their kindness to the rest of the world, people had grown to accept them and all agreed that the new system worked properly. For this reason, the Vampires needed to get rid of the Royals, to prove that they had power over Earth.

xXx

The piercing scream of a Royal set a pained reaction from the others as their family heard each other go to the after life. One by one, all of them fell, and one by one, they were left to bleed to their deaths as their killers smiled and took in the scent of their blood as a victory prize.

The Vampires moved around the castle in silence, swiftly killing the humans in their way they could finish off the rest of the Royal family before the Elders came to claim the world.

The rain outside pounded against the stone building, echoing through the entire palace like dropping bombs, each pellet of rain sending another shiver down the spines of the Vampires' prey.

Somewhere within the castle, a clock struck eleven times, causing the Vampires to panic. Their task was still not done and they knew that the Elders would not be pleased if even one Royal remained breathing when they arrived. However, it was not necessarily the Elders that these Vampires feared, but instead the wrath of the Eldest Vampire alive, their Vampire Lord. They knew for certain that they'd no longer be a part of the living if they failed. With that thought in mind, the Vampires hastily went in search for their last opponent.

xXx

Tears stained the milky white skin of the last of the Royals as the Emperor's prized daughter of 17 ran down the dark hallways that she had come to learn by heart. She kept in her sobs as the salted spheres poured out of her eyes unwillingly. She forced herself to continue running instead of turning back when she heard the cries of her family members, more tears clouding her vision when she realized that she was the last one alive.

The girl ran quickly up the stairs to the West Wing, toward the Tower, which held the one thing that she needed to make it out of here in one piece. She knew her duty as the last Royal and she was going to make it out of here alive and live on, if not for herself then for her family, her people. If she could just make it there before her death, then she knew that she could at least save mankind's hope by making sure the Vampires didn't get their fangs on her family's power.

Feet running instinctively to the closest route to the Tower, the young lavender-haired girl made her way to the very top. Her white night dress fell behind her in ripples as she tried to open the door, her eyes widening when she realized that the door was stuck.

Startled sapphire orbs further widened when she felt the dark aura of the invaders coming closer to her.

Ramming the door open with her side, the princess nearly stumbled onto the ground when the door gave way.

Acting as calm as she could, she closed the wooden door and bolted it shut from the inside.

Turning around, she quickly looked around the Tower, grateful that the Tower had a window that she could use to jump out of once she got what she needed.

Racing over to the center of the room, she smiled as she looked at the ground and saw a carving of a dragon. The Stone Dragon was coiled up so that its outer body made a circle around its face, a blue sphere placed between its claws in the center.

At seeing that the crystals were still in their rightful place, the last Royal sighed. She had almost thought the Vampires had already found out where the 'weapons of mass destruction' were and taken them away. There was no doubt that the Vampires would use it to gain power like Japan had done only centuries before. Her ancestors had used it as a threat toward the world and she knew that she couldn't allow history to repeat itself, she refused to allow the Vampires to go through with wiping out the entire human race.

Looking around the room, she dragged a nearby red carpet over the Stone Dragon and worked quickly as she heard the banging on the door. They were coming closer. She had to make sure that they didn't see it or everything that her family and guards had fought for would have been in vain.

"Please not now," said the princess as she straightened out the carpet so that no one would think otherwise about the room.

Her head snapped toward the door when she heard the creaking of the metal hinges on the bolt. She took a step back instinctively as the door swung open to reveal three grinning Vampires, whom were all prepared to kill her.

Jumping slightly when a perfectly clawed hand moved onto her left shoulder, the princess stared when the other Vampires before her bowed to the one behind her. She felt her breath hitch in her throat when she the male's dark features.

Ice met fire as the two stared at each other, their eyes having their own war as the Vampire waved his other hand at the others, whom all bowed before leaving the room and shutting the door behind them.

"Well now, what have we here? The last of the Royals," said the dark figure, his voice deep and rich as it mocked the young girl, who glared back at him in defiance.

"What do you want?" asked the girl.

"You'll call me Lord Battousai, Kamiya," ordered the Vampire as he suddenly had her wind pipe in his hands, threatening to suffocate her.

"I'll call you no such thing! You are not my lord!" snapped the teenager, gaining a slap clear across her beautiful face as she dropped to the ground, her fiery eyes narrowing at the creature that loomed over her.

Her eyes took in his outline and she shuddered as his golden eyes glared down into her very soul. At that moment, she finally noticed his blood-like mane in its high ponytail, which did nothing to make his appearance any less deadly and terrifying. Even if the Vampire had a small structure, his aura and the power that she could feel radiating from his body was enough to make that part up and surpass it.

She cringed as she saw two swords dangling at his waist. The Damned was obviously well trained with the sword and use to the old ways that her family brought back centuries ago.

It was then, as she sat there staring at the Vampire before her, that she realized just who she was facing. The red hair, the amber eyes, the dark aura-–she was within the presence of the infamous Battousai.

"Oh, but I will be," drawled Battousai with a grin at seeing her horror stricken face after she realized who he was, "once I take over your pathetic kingdom. You might as well learn to call me your lord, my lady."

"I will not be your lady!" shouted the last of the Kamiyas as she stood up and stepped back in terror at the mere thought of becoming such a degrading creature's mate.

"You have no choice," stated Battousai in a matter-of-fact tone, "unless you wish to die that is. I'll gladly take your life for you, Kamiya Kaoru." A satisfied grin took over his face. "If you become my queen, however, I'll make sure that you're treated as the queen you were meant to be. Your people will follow without any struggles when they realize that one of their precious Royals has succumbed to the new way of life with my own kind. If you don't, they're bound to try and kill me, then I'll have no choice but to make them pay for their insolence. You wouldn't want them to suffer, now would you?" asked the Vampire. He knew full well that Kaoru would never want anyone to get hurt or die because of her, knew this because he had been eyeing her since the day she was born.

Kaoru stared blankly at him as tears welled up in her eyes again. She didn't want to be his queen, but if she didn't, then her people would all die because of her. She couldn't be selfish--she had no choice.

Bowing her head, she allowed her tears to trickle down her cheeks and drop to the floor, landing right on the carpet that was directly above the Stone Dragon's blue sphere.

Battousai hissed and jumped back as a blue aura enveloped the entire room, the power seemingly ringing as something from the ground moved up until the Stone Dragon in the floor seemed to become a capsule. The capsule was high enough so that Kaoru could easily reach the glowing blue and red crystals in the very center.

The pulsating crystals were like pendants, each one glowing with an inner fire as the room turned into a purple hue from the colliding power of the two crystals. The narrow, diamond-shaped crystals were almost 2 and half inches. Around their tips were thin, silver necklaces.

"The Legendary Pendants of Akuma and Amaterasu," whispered Kaoru as she moved to touch the blue one, but stopped as she dropped to the floor, clutching at her bleeding stomach

"Thank you for showing me to the crystals," said Battousai with a smirk. His cruel laughter rang throughout the room as he released the hilt of his katana, which was now lodged in the mortal's body.

"They…won't work for you…bastard! I vow to you...that I shall return….and when I do… you'll pay…" gasped out Kaoru as the pain ripped through her small frame with each word she spoke. The blade had struck from her back to her stomach, barely missing her lungs and allowing her to live for a few more agonizing minutes.

"These crystals will make me supreme ruler of the world. Don't worry, I'll make sure to give you credit," said Battousai darkly as he held her chin to his face, taking pleasure as he watched her pain.

"It takes two to have ultimate power," said Kaoru darkly as she laughed, blood dripping from the side of her mouth as she cringed in pain.

The Vampire only stared at her confused. What in the world was she talking about? The crystals had no set masters and it only required one person to control them, to make them destroy.

Amber eyes widened as the princess spitted at him and he barely managed to dodge the blood that went past him when he moved out of the way.

He glared at her as she laughed even in her dying state.

"No one shall be able to use that crystal but me…. You'll never have complete power of this world! Never!" shouted Kaoru before she gasped for breath, falling to the floor with a sickening thud as she felt her life slip away from her.

Silence filled the room before the door to the Tower opened and the three other Vampires stepped in.

"Sire?" questioned the shortest of the three Vampires as they entered the room and saw that their lord was standing over the girl's body and staring at a red light in the center of the room.

"The little bitch," snarled Battousai as he stared at the red glow of only one of the crystals. The blue one had died and the light within it had faded as the blood of the Royal seeped into the pendant, sealing herself a very valuable weapon for the future--her threat was genuine.

"Sir?" asked the tallest of the three as they bowed to him.

"No one can know that I don't have power over Amaterasu's crystal," said Battousai, his voice low as he took the katana out of the girl's body.

His eyes narrowed as her body turned to ashes and scattered on the floor.

"Milord?" asked the smallest of the group as they all backed away slowly from the sadistic Vampire.

"No one," repeated Battousai as he attacked the three without warning.

The trio fell to the floor just outside of the Tower before they could even scream.

Looking back into the room, Battousai grabbed the two pendants out of their places and placed the red burning one around his neck and pocketed the other.

Thinking twice about it, he placed the blue one back in its rightful position and walked out of the room.

The Stone Dragon's chamber slowly descended and sealed itself once he slammed the door shut.

xXx


	2. Chapter One

**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, or any of its characters. I've gathered Vampire facts around the web so therefore I take no credit on that part, but I do own the plot.

xXx

_**Chapter One **_

xXx

The sun shone its bright and glorious face above the red soil of Earth and its happiness brought hope for the remaining humans on the planet, along with the Vampires whom thought what their own species were doing to the humans was wrong.

It seemed as if it had been an eternity since the sun last revealed itself from the darkened clouds, for its last appearance had been on the day that Lord Battousai had taken the throne and took full control of the world.

It has only been mere centuries since the last of the Royals was killed in the year 2225 on New Year's day. It was now the year 2652 and Battousai's reign has gone on longer than the Royals' by centuries. Still, after all these years, no one has ever dared to go up against him. After all, going up against Battousai was immediate death, because the Vampire possessed the power to control the Pendants of Akuma and Amaterasu, the weapons which could easily destroy the entire planet if its owner chose to.

As the years went on under the new control of the Elders and the Vampire Lord, things regressed as the world became less technical and more dependent on the creatures' strength. It seemed as if Time was starting over, starting over until the people were acting like they had when Vampires were first discovered by the humans, however, this time the Vampires were in the daylight and the humans were trapped in the shadows. Though due to the fact that the sun rarely came out anymore, the Vampires didn't get a chance to become immune to the daylight. So on this sunny day, the streets were empty and the places quiet as the Vampires retreated to the darkness of their homes.

Instead of the tall buildings of brick and cement that were seen every where in the 21st Century, it was now made out of wood or stone like those created in the olden days. The homes were aligned or scattered around in single areas and were back to being called villages instead of cities. It seemed that instead of become futuristic as most scientists of the past had predicted, mankind was literally going back in time as the years went on.

Everything that once created pollution had been destroyed only a few years after the Vampires' reign of the world. There were only so many creations left from the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd Centuries, but because of this, the Earth was once again becoming beautiful while its people dulled.

The way of life has indeed gone downhill, but still some people held hope in their hearts that one day their lives would be just as good as it had been when the Royals were in charge. Anyone who was striving to create a better world remembered the Royals and remembered that to get rid of the darkness they had to bring back the light. But the only problem was that they didn't know how, for as long as Lord Battousai controlled the Pendants, no one was willing to try anything and risk the lives of billions of other innocent beings.

xXx

"I can't remember when it was so hot," said an old man with a grey beard and mustache as he walked along a river bank. Tall, luxuriant green grass surrounded the calm and gentle water source.

Dressed in a gray and white kimono for men, the man walked easily in his geta sandals.

Shifting the basket on his back, the old man bent down and picked the dark green shrub by his left foot. He dusted the herb's roots of dirt before he threw it into his basket with the rest of his supplies. He had to make sure that he got the right ingredients for medicine, otherwise the people of his small village were going to suffer when winter came along again.

Tired from the long day's walk, the human sat down near the river's edge and smiled as the sun's light reflected off of the water. It was the first time that he had ever witnessed the sun's yellow glow and its warmth. The warm sensation was so different from the cold he had lived in his whole life.

Placing his slightly heavy basket beside him, the old man placed a hand into the river and splashed the nice cool water on his face happily. Before he could take a sip of the water, the cry of a baby pierced through the air, causing the man to jump in surprise.

"Is there someone there?" asked the man loudly as he picked up his basket and secured it on his back, following the cry of the baby.

His only response was the crying of the newborn.

"I'm Doctor Genzai and I can help you if you're injured or in pain," reassured the doctor as he walked faster toward the voice of the baby. He could tell that the baby had just been born from the way it was crying, he had similar cries so many times from delivering the babies in his village that he knew someone had just given birth to a healthy child.

Doctor Genzai ran toward the sound of the toddler when everything fell silent, fear etching onto his face when he thought that something might have happened to the baby. He knew that the child couldn't have died so quickly, not after just crying and taking its first breath, but he still couldn't help worrying for the child's life.

Looking around the grassed area for any sign of a body, Dr. Genzai stopped in his tracks when he saw a little baby soaked in blood in a basket near the river. He bent down and saw that the baby was staring at him with deep sapphire orbs, its frail body wrapped in a blue blanket that had turned dark red from the blood of its mother.

"Is anyone there?" repeated Dr. Genzai as he looked around the area once more, hoping to catch the baby's mother.

He looked back down at the baby and smiled when he noticed that it was a girl.

Repeating his question, Dr. Genzai frowned when, yet again, not a single sound was heard. He was certain that the mother would be around, especially since women, after going delivery a child, tended to become very weak, even Vampire females.

Scanning the area around the baby, the doctor frowned when he noticed that there weren't even footsteps near the area. He frowned when he recalled that he hadn't heard the mother's grunts or screams either. It seemed as if the baby had just appeared out of no where.

Shaking his head at the thought, Dr. Genzai bent down beside the quiet baby.

"Let's get you cleaned up," said the doctor with a smile.

Picking the baby out of the blood-filled basket, he moved over toward the river and used his own handkerchief to wipe the baby clean of blood.

The baby slowly dozed off while he cleaned, allowing him a few moments of silence to think things over. He only shook his head when he realized that this baby's mother had left her to die just right after she had been brought into the world.

His thoughts were broken when the child yawned after he cleaned her lavender locks, the child's big blue eyes staring at him innocently as he stared at her mouth.

Finally remembering something, Dr. Genzai opened the girl's mouth gently with his index finger. He smiled in relief when he realized that the baby didn't have any fangs like all Vampire children did when they were born.

"You're going to need a name," proclaimed Dr. Genzai as he took off the gray bandana on his head and wrapped it around the child's small body, shielding the baby from the blowing wind.

The baby only smiled, seeming to agree with the older man.

"Lavender hair, beautiful smile, drowning ocean depths, and completely innocent...I think that I'll call you Kaoru," declared Dr. Genzai with a smile. "You're named after a wonderful young lady, Kaoru. She was a princess and the kindest of the Royal Family." He chuckled at seeing the baby smile in agreement to the fitting name. "I know that you'll grow perfectly into your name, young one."

Looking back one last time just in case Kaoru's mother decided to return, the doctor slowly walked back toward his home, which would forever change because of the bundle of joy in his arms.

xXx

"Through the darkness there's a light so bright that it'll shine through the shadows and hold me tight, it'll remain with me forever as long as I hold onto hope and fight for what's right," recited the voice of a 17-year-old dressed in a plain dark blue and white kimono, her lavender hair flowing in the wind in a wild dance as she walked along the same river bank that she had been born on.

Her bright smile was just was beautiful as the sun, her movements as graceful as the river beside her, and her elegance made up for the poor clothing that she wore.

Holding her head up high, she looked out toward the crystal-clear water and took in the refreshing scent of nature.

Smiling up toward the dark sky, her sapphire orbs seemed to glow when she saw the first strike of lightning and heard the pounding of the thunder. Her blue eyes sparkled with laughter as the soft patting of the rain tickled her smooth, milky-white skin.

Ignoring the fact that she was getting soaked, the teenager walked back toward her village, singing the lullaby that she had known since she was young.

Moving along the path that she had used since she could walk, the girl held up her kimono and ran in her wooden sandals, giggling when the wind seemed to race against her to get home first. Face lighting up as she played in the rain, she fell silent when she reached the outer edge of her village home.

Her breath caught in her throat and she immediately stopped when she saw ten tall men covered with black cloaks in the center of her village, their emotionless eyes staring at the Village Leader as they kept calm hands on the hilt of their swords.

Following her instinct, the 17-year-old moved back and ran toward her home as fast as her legs would carry her. Something had to be up if the Crimson Guards of their Vampire Lord were at their small village.

After knocking on the back door of her home for the past seventeen years of her life, the teenager was hauled in by the elbows when the same old man that had saved her years ago pulled her in.

Worried eyes greeted her as the doctor shook his head at her state and pushed her behind a screen to change into a new clean set of clothes. There was a stern look in his eyes that left the girl confused as she obeyed the silent order and quickly dressed.

"Grandpa Genzai, what are the Crimson Guards doing here? Is it Collection Time already?" asked the teenager from behind the blue screen.

"They're collecting all right, but not money," said Dr. Genzai, his voice barely above a whisper as he handed her a towel from the other side.

"Then what are they collecting?" asked the girl as she took the towel to dry her drenched hair.

"Don't ask questions, Kaoru, it's not our place to question His Majesty's actions," said Genzai seriously to his adoptive granddaughter.

Kaoru only looked at her grandfather questioningly as she cocked her head at him. A shudder went down her spine as a deep voice from outside resonated through their thin wooden walls.

"All women of the ages 16 through 18 are to follow us back to the Castle where they'll be meeting Lord Battousai. Those that do not pass the exam will be sent to the Sakura," shouted a deep, octave voice.

"Those that try to hide will be found and once they are their entire family shall be slaughtered," yelled another darker voice.

"No exceptions," crowed another.

"Stay here, Kaoru," said Dr. Genzai as he held back her hand when she moved to leave.

"I don't want you to get killed, Grandfather," said Kaoru with a sad look on her face as she gently pulled her hand out of his.

"I am old, Kaoru, my life isn't as valuable as yours. I'd rather die than see you sent to the Sakura, you're too innocent for that place," said Dr. Genzai as he shook his head.

"I plan to pass the exam," said Kaoru with a determined look as she hugged her grandfather, who didn't want to let her go. She was his pride and joy for almost two decades and he couldn't bare to see her go so quickly.

"Promise me that you won't go to the Sakura," said the doctor.

"Don't worry, I won't," Kaoru reassured with a smile.

"Hurry up, we don't have all night!" shouted the first dark voice of the Vampire that Kaoru could only presume was the leader of the small group of Crimson Guards.

"Take this with you and remember to never give up hope," said Dr. Genzai with a smile as he handed her a round umbrella.

"As long as I hold onto hope," whispered Kaoru as she opened the umbrella and raced out into the rain, she waved back at her grandfather as she joined the other five girls her age, whom were all huddled by the leader.

"Come back safely," said Genzai as he gave her a weak smile. He could only pray that she would someday return, even though the odds were against him.

xXx

"I heard that the one that passes gets to become the Lord's Queen," whispered one of the girls as all six of the 17-year-olds of their village were placed into a purple-cushioned carriage, which was hauled by black horses.

Following behind them were four other coaches, along with the ten Crimson Guards riding on horses in the rain beside them.

"Wouldn't it be great to be Lord Battousai's Queen? I mean, you'd practically be the second most powerful being in the entire world and you'd become immortal," squealed another girl with a smile on her face.

"Yes, and be a part of the damned society that treat us lower than dirt! But what I don't understand is why Lord Battousai is searching for a human mate instead of a Vampire," said a girl in a yellow kimono, her face twisted in disgust and consideration.

Kaoru stayed silent as she looked out the window, the rain slowly vanishing as she frowned. She had a gut feeling that something bad was going to happen. She didn't really know why, but every time she had a bad feeling, something always terrible happened. It were as if she had a knack for knowing things before it happened, even though she never had any visions. It was more like something _outside _of her body was warning her before anything could happen to her.

A shudder went down her spine as she closed her eyes, praying that her instincts wouldn't fail her once she arrived at the Castle.

"Hey, get up! We're going to enter the Castle," said the one in the yellow kimono as she nudged Kaoru so that she wouldn't be left behind.

Nodding in silence, Kaoru walked in a straight line behind the other girls as the carriages behind them all opened and their group joined in with the rest of the teenagers. They were all silent, none of them wishing to get the Vampires that surrounded them angry.

"Welcome to the Castle of Lord Battousai! I am General Sagara Sanosuke of the Crimson Guards and I'll be your guide to the Throne Room, where the exams will be done. Those that fail shall follow Captain Yukishiro Enishi to the Sakura," said a tall man with spiky brown hair in a black cloak, pointing to a man with white hair and a pair of glasses on the brim of his nose.

Kaoru stared at the two Vampires that stood on a platform before the Castle entrance, except for the red outline of their cloaks, they seemed no different than the others, but she could feel their power and knew that they weren't ordinary Vampires.

"If you should get lost, then you've as good as lost your life," stated the Captain, causing the girls to all shudder at his words in horror.

"Should you make it, then make sure that you memorize the trails that we'll be leading you through, for not everyone in the Castle is kind. Rest assure that if you should make it, your life within the Castle walls will be a pleasant one," stated the General. "Am I forgetting anything, Captain?"

The white-haired Vampire leaned toward the man's ear and whispered something so inaudible that even the other Vampires couldn't hear him.

"Oh, I almost forgot! When we enter the Castle, speak only when you're spoken to, and not a word is to be heard within the halls as we walk to the Throne Room. Any questions before we begin?" asked the General as he looked around at the youthful faces with a smile.

"Who is the Sakura?" asked a young lady in the far back as the others all nodded. They all were curious as to where they'd be going should they not pass.

"Only one girl shall not be going to the Sakura and that is the one that Lord Battousai chooses. The rest of you shall work within the Sakura for the rest of your lives. It is a very famous brothel," said Enishi with a grin as the women all paled at his calm words.

"Shall we get going?" asked Sanosuke merrily as if sending women to a dirty place such as the Sakura was an everyday thing and the thought of girls becoming prostitutes didn't bother him at all.

When there wasn't a single sound from his audience, the General smiled and led them through the large twin, stone doors of the Castle.

Kaoru looked with large round eyes as she entered the enchanting Castle and took in the beautiful decorations. She had thought that the Castle would be dark and disgusting due to occupants of place, but it was quite the contrary. It was absolutely breathtaking and it was the most beautiful scene that the 17-year-old had ever seen in her entire life.

The red carpet that covered the ground was so soft that some of the girls almost sank into it because of their weight and the chandeliers were made of diamonds, which shined above their heads from the light of the white candles. Marvelous paintings decorated the walls, along with the old statues and sculptures from centuries before. Stairs upon stairs were seen spiraling everywhere and it seemed as if the Castle was too big and too gorgeous to actually be real, it was as if it were a setting in an unbelievable fairy tale with a princess and a prince.

"One by one, you shall all enter the room, and if you're lucky, you won't. Those that do leave the room shall join Enishi on his side of the hallway," said the Crimson Guards' General as the girls walked toward a set of black stone doors that had a dragon carved into it. A large sphere was placed within the creature's mouth as its body coiled itself so that it made what looked like an endless circle.

The hallway toward the doors were split into two, one side was filled with girls and the other was currently empty, but would soon be full with crying women whom couldn't believe that they hadn't passed.

"Should the first one make it, the rest of you shall automatically be sent to the Sakura," added Enishi as he stood in the other hallway, ready to send another group of screaming and yelling humans to the infamous Sakura.

"You first," said Sanosuke as he opened the door only a crack and allowed a shivering girl to enter.

Only a few seconds passed before the girl came out crying and shaking like crazy as she stepped towards the Vampire with white hair.

"Next," shouted General Sagara.

Kaoru watched from the back as hours passed by and only a few girls were left on her side. Sadly, the others were cowering together and crying at their new fate.

The 17-year-old only sighed, she had a bad feeling that she might be joining them as well.

Shaking her head, she repeated herself the song that she had known since she was young. She had always known the lyrics of the beautiful song, it was as if she were born with the knowledge of the song, because she had never heard anyone else singing it.

_Through the darkness there's a light so bright that it'll shine through the shadows and hold me tight, it'll remain with me forever as long as I hold onto hope and fight for what's right._ The words of the beloved verse repeated through her mind until she was tapped on the shoulder. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she met deep dark chocolate eyes that smiled at her.

"You're the last one," said Sanosuke as he looked into her startled ocean depths.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention," apologized Kaoru as she bowed to the man.

"Just go in and get it over with, Missy," said Sanosuke as he opened the doors and allowed her to go in.

Nodding, the lavender-haired beauty stepped within the large Throne Room. Her breath caught as she looked around the enormous room, ignoring the loud bang of the door as it shut behind her. Azure spheres lightened up like stars in the darkest of night as she looked at the grand, golden throne near the center at the end of the Throne Room. She suddenly felt unwanted tears well up in her eyes as she looked at the black carpet on the ground and the lovely master pieces on the walls.

"Walk closer, Kaoru," said a cold and chilling voice from the shadows, startling the teenager as she turned and faced a breathtaking Vampire.

"How did you know my name?" Kaoru tried to ask in a demanding tone, but to her dismay it only came out as a whisper of shock.

"It's only been 444 years since we last met, or do you not remember, Princess? Now in the year 2669, we meet yet again. You showed me the Pendants of Akuma and Amaterasu all those years ago, and you bloody cursed the Amaterasu's crystal. You're the only one that can use it now, just like only I can use Akuma's," said the man with blood-like hair, fire burning eyes, and a cross shaped scar on his left cheek.

Kaoru stared at him confused as he spoke to her, she didn't understand what he was talking about.

Stepping back unconsciously, she could only gasped as her body was crushed against the stone door of the Throne Room and the Vampire before her. His red clothing and cloak had surrounded her body, cushioning her impact against the black doors.

Closing her eyes, she moved her head to the left as her body tried to regain oxygen.

"Welcome home, Kaoru," whispered the Vampire hotly in her exposed ear.

xXx


	3. Chapter Two

**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, or any of its characters. I've gathered Vampire facts around the web so therefore I take no credit on that part, but I do own the plot.

xXx

_**Chapter Two**_

xXx

"Are you trying to tell me that the girl that just went in could actually be the one? The very one that His Majesty has been searching for?" questioned the Captain of the Crimson Guards as he faced his solemn General.

"I'm not exactly certain, but there was definitely something that separated the girl from the others that I can't quite put my fang on. I think it was her eyes," said the Vampire as he crossed his arms over his chest and thought about it for a second.

"Eyes that burn with an inner fire, but can still drown those that look too close," said the white-haired creature as he turned to look at the girls and beyond them as his brain began to remember something.

"What are you talking about Enishi?" asked Sanosuke as he raised a brow to his companion.

"You and I both know that humans once resided here, and from all the stories that I have heard on the road, only one thing remains the same. The last Royal, the old emperor's only daughter, had alluring blue eyes. It's quite the coincidence, isn't it?" asked Enishi with a grin toward the other amused Vampire.

"Lord Battousai was the one that killed her. Why would he want her back after over four centuries?" asked Sanosuke as he got the hint from the Captain.

"We weren't hired to question orders. You can bring the girl to the Sakura should she fail, I'm taking this group now, their constant whimpering and tears are beginning to irritate me," said Enishi as he walked ahead toward the girls and led them back to the exit.

Sanosuke shook his head at how the man could suddenly be so absorbed in a conversation and then show a complete disinterest the next.

Turning to face the pair of stone doors, the Vampire could only stare at it with hopeful eyes.

"For the sake of all the other 17-year-olds out there, and mine, you better be the one, Missy."

xXx

_One by one, they shall all die. Soon, soon they shall all join me in Hell!_

_Stop it, Akuma, you must stop before it's too late! You can still repent for your sins._

_What I am going to do is not a sin, Amaterasu, but part of a divine justice, a justice that shouts for me to destroy them all for their crimes! Their kind does not belong in this world...in our world._

_Just because they are only mortal, doesn't mean that they don't own as much a right to live as we do. If you wish to rid the world of these creatures, then you have to rid the world of me first._

_Amaterasu…._

_Make your decision, Akuma._

xXx****

Her body tried to inhale the precious air that was being forbidden to her as her mind swirled in confusion and tried its best to register what the Vampire's words meant.

Trying her best to remain focused on Battousai's face, Kaoru could only attempt to wretch out of his tight hold for oxygen, but soon found that she wasn't going anywhere for a long time if her captor so chose.

"I'll let you choose your destiny," whispered the Vampire so that his words coursed through her very being and stayed there.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Kaoru merely relaxed when the red-haired man that looked no more than in his early 20s took a slight step back, however, his hands remained at her sides, reducing any chances of her getting out of his hold.

"You can stay here and become my wife, who'll obey my every order, or you can leave this room and become part of the Sakura," spoke the Ruler of the World as one hand moved gradually toward the girl's waist, savoring the feel of her body shivering against his fingertips.

Closing her eyes and gathering the last of her courage, Kaoru asked boldly, "Was this the choice of all the other maidens? If so, then you're not that popular, are you?"

Kaoru bit back a groan as she felt her body being compressed against the giant stone door by the creature before her. Her eyes unconsciously closed as she felt the wind get knocked out of her once again. Her lungs desperately tried to regain access to the much needed oxygen, but its attempts were in vain.

"Make your choice," seethed the Vampire as he bared his elongated fangs that gleamed in the room's dim light, which was cast by the lit candles, the only source of light in the Throne Room.

"I don't really have much of a choice, do I?" snapped back Kaoru as she glared into his eyes with her own defiant ones, challenging him in a battle of fortitude.

"I just gave you two choices," snapped Battousai darkly when they were at eye level.

"What do you want with me? Why didn't you choose one of those other girls to be your whore?" scowled Kaoru angrily as she met his fierce glare, which had turned a demonic gold when their eyes locked.

"I want your body, mind, and soul, which is something that those other girls can't give me. You, on the other hand, are the perfect one to give me all three, including the only blood that will activate Amaterasu's Pendant," stated Battousai, grinning as he saw her innocent sapphire orbs widen in fear at his straightforward answer.

Kaoru could have just fallen on the floor in shock if it weren't for the fact that her own body was already supported by the man before her.

She couldn't believe her ears, she was going to be stuck with a power hungry Vampire that only wanted her for her ability to hand over her very body, mind, and soul, but there was no way she was going to give up her entire being so easily.

The Eldest of the Vampires raised a delicate brow as her once frightened eyes became a solid pair of ice. If looks could kill, he wouldn't be the one supporting them both right now.

"If you think that I'm going to stoop that--" began Kaoru, but was cut off when the Vampire raised a hand to stop her from continuing.

"You're going to become nothing but a sex toy for my fellow Vampires, and other humans, whom will treat you no better than a dog. You'll only exist to please the lust for other men. At least with me, you're stuck with me, and only me, for the rest of eternity," stated Battousai calmly as he watched in amusement as her emotions played across her face, grinning openly when he saw realization spread across her face.

"What do you want me to do?" asked Kaoru as she looked at the ground, not daring to look into his eyes as tears began to form. She really had no choice in the matter if she wanted to keep at least some dignity.

"Tears are for the weak and I will not accept weaklings within my court," said Battousai as he tilted Kaoru's chin with two fingers so that her eyes met his own.

Stifling a sob, Kaoru bit her lower lip and inwardly thanked him for being so cold. His words seemed almost kind from the tales that she had heard from the elders in her village, but then again, he really could have meant it.

"They're probably thinking that I have already sucked the living daylights out of you." The Vampire took a step away from the girl and easily caught her in his arms when she almost fell, smirking when he saw her blush.

Quickly straightening herself, Kaoru turned to face the door so that he couldn't see her blushing. She would not show such emotions toward a cold hearted creature!

Cursing at herself for being such a klutz and needing the Vampire's help from falling, she intertwined her fingers in front of her as she waited for the twin doors to open. She turned around when they never did.

Sapphire orbs sparkled when she faced the eldest of the Damned, who held something outstretched to her in his right hand, a gift for accepting her position as his future queen.

xXx****

_Why are you so stubborn? Why can't you, for once, stop thinking about others before yourself?_

_They are my people, good or bad, I must help them._

_Then why don't you just make them all kings and queens so that they'll stop fighting over grains of rice?_

_You know that I cannot do that._

_Then what is your purpose for being here?_

_To shine a light for those whom are trapped in the dark._

_I've lived in the dark for centuries and you've never shown me the light!_

_That is because your nature is within the shadows._

_What's the point of being a god if I can't even see the sun? I might as well go to Earth and live the rest of my life as a mortal--_

_Life isn't fair, it's only fairer than death._

_Death would be better than this hell of a life that I'm forced to live for the rest of eternity!_

_Don't speak like that, you must think of the positive things about your life._

_I handle the dead and yet I can't even join the darkest of the mortals when they are reborn! That's why they must all die, so they can join me in my dark life. Once every one of them is dead, there will be no way for them to be reborn, no way for them to ever leave me in the dark alone!_

_Then I shall have no choice but to stop you._

_What are you going to do, take away my powers and turn me into a source of light?_

_That's exactly what I plan to do._

_No! Not if I transform you first!_

xXx****

"Another batch already? It's barely been a single day since you last came here with the new recruits," said a woman in a fairly exposed and colorful kimono, her dark red hair fastened in a high bun and her green lipstick making her lips appear to shine as she smiled in the dreary evening.

"Well, this one might be your last batch, Yumi. Sanosuke has a feeling that the last one that went in might be the one," said the Captain of the Crimson Guards as he jumped down from a black horse and walked over to the woman, his black cloak swaying with his silent movements.

"I see. Well, the Sakura is already overflowing with the new girls from the last few days anyways. We might have had to build another level if Lord Battousai kept it up any longer," said Yumi as she watched the girls being forced out of their carriages and marched into the five story building that looked just like all the other brothels. It was beauty on the outside and ugliness on the inside.

It was such a shame that the beautiful scenery around the building was scorned and detested due to the fact that such a building as this was the one that the flowers and trees encircled. Then again, one can never really choose where one was born, or where one's seeds were scattered.

"Shall you be joining us tonight?" asked Yumi as she smiled seductively at him, knowing full well that the man would either grin back and enter or roll his eyes and retreat.

"I have been traveling back and forth for a while," began Enishi as he looked up at the top floor of the Sakura building.

"Come on in, it's on the house. You have been getting us some of the prettiest girls around after all! This is the least that I can do to repay you," cooed Yumi as she latched onto his right arm and pulled him into the brothel.

Wary from his travels and nights without sleep, the Vampire allowed himself to be pulled up the steps and toward the third floor of the infamous Sakura, which was filled with smoke, slurs of voices, beer, and most importantly women that could not only satisfy the guests, but the Vampires' quenches too.

xXx


	4. Chapter Three

**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, or any of its characters. I've gathered Vampire facts around the web so therefore I take no credit on that part, but I do own the plot.

xXx

_**Chapter Three**_

xXx

Kaoru's eyes widen at the gift that Battousai, the Ruler of Earth, was so willingly giving to her. Her eyes were dancing as the cerulean-colored pendant gleamed brilliantly off of the light of the dim moon, which had somehow managed to get past the clouds and the stain glassed windows of the Throne Room.

"It's absolutely gorgeous," whispered the 17-year-old as she reached out her long slender fingers and gracefully caressed the blue-colored stone. There was definitely something about the necklace that drew her to it, something that went deeper than the pendant's outer beauty.

"And it's all yours," replied Battousai, raising the precious item so her eyes were level with it.

Kaoru's eyes left the trinket and locked with her future husband's guarded ones.

"Is it that difficult to trust me when I say that this is now yours?" Battousai feigned innocence as he frowned at her in disappointment.

Kaoru had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. "What's the catch?"

Battousai looked at her with mock hurt before asking in an ersatz offended tone, "Cannot the King of Earth give his future queen a gift?"

Sapphire orbs narrowed dangerously, there was no way she could ever fully trust the Vampire before her, or so she thought.

"Then you don't accept it? If not, then I can always give it to someone else," teased Battousai as he wrapped his fingers around the pendant and moved his hand back, out of Kaoru's reach.

"No! I mean…. I never said I wouldn't take it," stated Kaoru quickly, her eyes never leaving the exquisite mineral in Battousai's hands.

"Indeed you didn't." Battousai looked down at the powerful weapon in his hands before throwing it to her. It wasn't as if he could make it work without her anyways.

Catching her 'present', Kaoru smiled as she cradled it carefully between in her palms. The moment that she touched it, she knew that she was meant to have it within her possession, now and forever.

Just as she was about to move her ebony locks aside to put it on, Battousai took the necklace from her hands.

"You said that--" Kaoru didn't get a chance to finish her sentence, because Battousai had vanished and suddenly appeared behind her.

"As my queen, you're not going to be allowed to do anything at all without my consent, unless of course it's to please me," spoke Battousai calmly as he took the liberty of helping her wear on her new jewelry.

Taking her by the shoulders, the Vampire turned his bride-to-be around and forced her to look into his mesmerizing, yet mysterious, honey-colored eyes. He only smirked maliciously as he saw the determination and defiance in her gaze. She was all spit and fire, just as he remembered her.

"There are only three rules that you have to engrave in that small mind of yours. Firstly: You are never to defy me. Secondly: You are to do everything in your power to make me happy. Thirdly: Leaving my side is not an option. Understood?"

Kaoru internally cringed at how dark and commanding his words were and could only nod when she felt pressure being applied to her shoulder blades.

"Good. Now let's get going," said Battousai as he turned around and opened the door to reveal a very relieved and very mischievously looking General of the Crimson Guards.

xXx

"Blood can taste just as sweet, and just as delicious, as red wine. The thickness of it flowing down your throat and replenishing you is extraordinary. So much that you never want this new feeling to go away, until you realize that draining the human before you completely would result in your own death," spoke the old, yet enthusiastic voice of the speaker on the podium before the creatures that had become of age.

The anxious novices all stood on the school grounds with beaming eyes as one of the oldest Vampires spoke to them about the honor that was placed upon them by being turned into a Damned and being able to live on their own. They all wore their black robes with pride as they waited for their teacher to finish his last lecture and allow them all to roam the world freely as full grown adults in the eyes of all Vampires.

The orator smiled at his students and knew that they would all become great leaders one day. He knew that they could all make a difference and maybe even put the humans in their places.

Okina raised a hand to silence the slowly growing chatter of his pupils.

"Today is the day that you all leave my watch and live on your own with the other Vampires, and of course, feed upon actual humans instead of just the blood that we've collected from them. You have all been taught to discard any evidence so that you do not litter the grounds with the mortals' bodies. Before I let you all go, I have very good news to tell you all. Earlier on this week, I was sent a letter from Lord Battousai himself and was asked to read it in front of you all," said Okina as he held up a white envelope for them all to see.

Whispers were exchanged at the mention of the King's name and even some females began to giggle. At the Elder's cough, they all fell silent.

"I shall summarize what it is that our Supreme Ruler has written, for it is in the ancient tongue of our kind. Due to the changes that our ancestors and we our selves have gone through, the old language is something that none of you would understand," started Okina as he opened the envelope.

The young vampires bowed their heads and looked at the ground as they were taught to do when they were addressed by His Royal Majesty's letter. Even Lord Battousai's written work was to be respected as if it were him speaking to them himself. Anything that had to do with Lord Battousai was cherished amongst his own kindred, for if it weren't for him, they would all still be hiding the shadows in fear of the Humans finding them and slaying them.

"I, Lord Battousai, have sent some of my best men to the grand school of Aka Ketsueki to search for capable workers that shall assist me in my castle. My men have been secretly eyeing each and every one of you to find those that seem worthy enough to serve me personally. After much thought, they have sent me the list of Vampires that seem qualified. Those that have been chosen are to get into the carriage at the main entrance and ride to my home immediately. The following have been chosen: Kuro, Okon, Shiro, Omasu, and Misao," said Okina in a loud voice with an air of importance around him. He smiled at the five students that looked up to him with sparkling eyes.

"Let me explain to you all that the list was written much more formally, but since no two students have the same first name in this graduating class, I thought that I'd call you five up informally," added Okina as the five went up to hug him before racing off to the carriage.

Giving a sigh once his five prized students left, Okina raised his hands once again to shut off the noise of congratulations that the others had given their classmates. He chuckled warm heartedly as the youngest of the five turned around with her long braid swaying in the wind and waved to him one last time before vanishing from view.

Turning back to his other awaiting students, he once again continued his speech.

xXx

The girl's moans in his ears grew louder as he kissed her pale skin. He felt his dry mouth water as he trailed his lips from the woman's mouth to her neck and slowly to her shoulders.

Ripping her kimono open, the Vampire moved lower towards the chest area just above his victim's breasts.

Slowly, he allowed his fangs to pierce into the woman's flesh.

Biting down and sucking the red content right out of her body, the Vampire felt his body jerk back to life as the liquid dripped down his throat. The more blood he consumed, the stronger he seemed to become.

Ignoring the cry from the human, the Captain of the Crimson Guards continued to satisfy his thirst before placing the seemingly lifeless body back on the futon.

Standing up, Enishi licked his red lips before smirking down at the exhausted woman with a satisfied expression.

Adjusting his black cloak and clothes, the Vampire moved toward the closed shoji door, but before he could open it, the door slid open with a snap. He smiled as he recognized who it was.

"Did she satisfy you?" asked the owner of the Sakura as she peaked over the Captain's shoulder and saw the unconscious girl on the futon.

"Hai. She's not dead if that's what you're asking, Yumi. I left enough blood so that she'd remain exhausted for a few hours at the most," said Enishi as the female Vampire side stepped so he could get out of the room.

"You're the only considerate one, Enishi. Those other bastards drained the girls so much that they can't live on the few drops left behind. I lost 25 girls today because of those jerks," complained Yumi as she shut the shoji and ordered one of the other girls to help the one inside.

"I wouldn't want you to run out of business," replied Enishi as he gave her a grin.

"I thank you then. Oh yes, I thought that you'd like to know that General Sagara never came by with that other girl," informed Yumi as they both walked down the steps of the Sakura.

"Really now?" asked Enishi surprised, his brows reaching his hairline in amazement.

"My older girls would have crooned over the rooster head if he had came," smiled Yumi as Enishi chuckled at the General's nickname.

"I thank you for the drink, Yumi," said Enishi once he was on the last floor.

"Just make sure that you come here more often! It's aggravating to have to talk to drunken morons all the time," said Yumi as Enishi turned around to face her.

"I will," promised Enishi as he took Yumi's right hand and brought his lips to her wrist. He gave her another smile before making to leave.

"Have a safe trip back to the Castle," yelled Yumi after Enishi's retreating figure from the Sakura's entrance.

Enishi turned around one last time to give Yumi a fanged smirk before exiting the building.

xXx

General Sagara Sanosuke was grinning from ear to ear as he saw his king and future queen step out of the Throne Room. A part of him was relieved that he wouldn't have to go searching for the right girl again, and another part of him was happy that the older Vampire had finally decided to get a wife. Their kingdom was now complete, there was finally a king _and_ queen to rule over the world. He had almost thought that Battousai would never get mated.

"Lord Battousai, Lady--" greeted Sanosuke with a bow as he waited for the girl to answer his unasked question.

"K-Kaoru," whispered the 17-year-old as she shuffled her feet uncomfortably from the way he addressed her.

"Lady Kaoru," Sanosuke finished his previous sentence before raising his head. His eyes suddenly widened as he saw the pendant that was around the teenager's neck.

Looking at the item and then back at his lord, he bowed his head once again when he was met by glaring amber orbs.

Battousai calmly answered Sanosuke silent question, "This way, my people will know who I've chosen as my mate. You know the capabilities of Amaterasu's pendant, Sano, it's just as powerful at Akuma's."

"I understand, Sire. Are you going to transform--" started Sanosuke as he eyed Kaoru before facing his lord.

"Have the servants set up the Ceremonial Room," was all that Battousai said as he walked past his bowing General, his future bride following by his side nervously.

Sanosuke only stared after the couple before quickly leaving to do as he was ordered.

xXx


	5. Chapter Four

**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, or any of its characters. I've gathered Vampire facts around the web so therefore I take no credit on that part, but I do own the plot.

xXx

_**Chapter Four**_

xXx

Kaoru followed quickly and silently beside the Vampire Lord to catch up with his swift strides down the stone halls toward what she could only assume was the Ceremonial Room. She couldn't help but gulp at the thought of the reason why they were heading there for. In a matter of a few minutes she was going to be married to a Vampire and hold the title of the Queen of the world.

The thought of ruling others and having to deal with the prejudice of the Vampire society didn't exactly sound pleasing to her at the moment. She couldn't lead a group of chickens back to their nests let alone an entire world!

The 17-year-old tilted her head slightly to look at Battousai, the eldest of the Damned, and found herself seeing him in a whole new light, figuratively speaking of course. The seemingly young king had to be something to control every single human and Vampire on the planet without any trouble whatsoever from his people. She could faintly recall her grandfather saying that rebellious groups stopped forming after the first decade when their king killed entire villages with one sweep of his sword.

Kaoru shuddered at the thought and was thankful that Battousai hadn't noticed, or rather ignored, the sudden movement from her as they walked deeper into the Castle.

Taking comfort in the blue illuminations that came from her new sapphire pendant around her neck, Kaoru smiled slightly and was grateful for the torches that lit the corridors. If it weren't for them, then she wouldn't have been able to see the color of her pendant at all. She tried to remember what Battousai had called her pendant, and finally, after a few minutes walking, she remembered that hers was called Amaterasu's Pendant and that Battousai's was named after Akuma.

A flash of red caught her eye and she froze in her tracks as she stared at Battousai's right hand. She could have sworn that she had seen something glitter when he moved his hand slightly toward the fire-lit torches. It was a single flicker of red, but she knew it couldn't have been from the Vampire's red clothing.

"What's the delay?" demanded the cold voice of the Ruler of Earth while he turned around to face his future bride.

His amber eyes followed her gaze and landed on his right wrist.

Kaoru took an unconscious step back when she saw a smirk touch Battousai's lips. She might not have been with him for long, but she knew that when the Vampire smirked--and his eyes matched it--his next actions were going to benefit him in some way. For some reason, she wanted to run, but willed herself not to, lest she get in trouble, or worse, lost in a castle full of Vampires.

"Looking at this?" asked Battousai instead as he raised his right hand to her, allowing her to see the silver chain-band around his wrist.

In one fluid motion, he turned his hand over and revealed to her a ruby looking crystal in the center of his palm. The wrist band was what had kept the pendant from falling from his hand.

Before Kaoru could truly admire the precious stone, the Vampire Lord grabbed her own right hand in his left and nearly dragged her down the corridor once more.

"Their true beauty will be revealed soon enough," reassured Battousai with a grin as he tugged at her hand to make her walk faster.

Kaoru hastened her steps and could feel her self blushing from the looks she was receiving from the servants that were working in the area. She had to admit that it must have been odd for them to see their master holding hands with a human of all creatures in the castle.

Seeing the servants get back to work a second later, Kaoru noticed that the deadly gaze of their king was what had made them stop staring and finish their tasks. Even if she wasn't the direct target of his stare, she could still feel its effects and shivered. She seemed to be doing more of that ever since she came to Battousai's palace.

The couple walked on for a while more, and it was only when the Vampire had stopped in front of a pair of black doors that he let go of his captive's hand.

Battousai turned to face his future queen and spoke seriously in a commanding tone, "Do not speak while we're inside unless I tell you to, understood?"

Not knowing what else to do, Kaoru nodded.

Pushing open the pair of doors with ease, Battousai led the way in, his boots clicking and echoing through the entire room as he walked on the marble flooring.

The moment that Kaoru uneasily stepped inside, the doors immediately shut behind her, making her jump from the sudden action. She gulped nervously when she saw that Battousai was waiting for her in the center of the room. With slow and steady steps, Kaoru walked over to him and noticed that he was standing before a podium and staring at what looked like an empty black book. The pages were all black and completely bare of any color except for the gold that surrounded their edges.

"Stand across from me," ordered Battousai, not bothering to look up from the book to see if Kaoru was doing as he had instructed.

Kaoru watched on curiously as the Vampire moved his right index finger toward his mouth and touched the tip of it with his right fang. Her eyes widened slightly as black blood came out of his finger instead of red like all other humans and Vampires. Her lungs almost stopped functioning when she witnessed Battousai use his bleeding finger to create a star shape on the right blank page in the center of the book. She watched in wonderment as words began to appear on the page in his black blood. At the bottom of the page was a dotted line where his unmistakable signature and seal were designed over it.

"Repeat my actions for the Vampire Marriage Record Book, except with your left finger," said Battousai as he turned the book so that it was facing her.

Kaoru eyed the blank page uncertainly for a few seconds before she took in a deep breath and raised her left finger to her sharpest canine tooth and bit down until she tasted blood in her mouth.

Mimicking Battousai's movements on the left page, Kaoru sucked on her bleeding finger when she saw words in red begin to appear on the page. She could only stare when she saw her signature being neatly written at the bottom of the page and an unrecognizable seal appeared next to it, although she could have sworn that she had seen it somewhere before.

Just as the page was complete, the book closed itself and the dim torches in the room went out, only to come back to life again, albeit this time using flames of black as their source of light.

Kaoru could only stare when she realized that the podium and book were both gone and everything was surrounded in darkness. Was this supposed to be a part of the ceremony?

Startled when a hand held her left one, Kaoru froze still when she realized she was able to make out Battousai's amber eyes in the dark. She felt her breath catch when a scarlet glow from the pendant in his right hand showered the room in red, her own hand seemingly turning crimson from touching Akuma's pendant as well. Her eyes were averted from the scene when she looked down at her chest and noticed that Amaterasu's necklace was also shining a brilliant blue.

The teenager could only watch amazed as Battousai intertwined his fingers in hers and then moved their cupped hands forward so that their hands were horizontal and pointing at a diamond-forged pot that appeared out of nowhere.

A wave of warmth rushed through her veins and she could feel a ripple of coldness sweep through her entire being afterwards. The sensation repeated itself and this time she could feel the warmth and coldness rush to her left hand as the pendants began to blaze to life with an internal flame that had finally been heated and burned.

Kaoru closed her eyes for a second as the addictive feeling came again and again, opening her eyes when she felt something shift within her. This time, when she opened her eyes, what she saw was much more than breathtaking, it was absolutely mystifying. A swirl of red and blue streamed out of her hand that held Battousai's and the two combined to make a violet tornado. The force of the purple twister moved deadly fast toward the crystal pot, and upon impact, the diamond pot shattered into a million pieces all around the room.

The diamond shards began to glitter beautifully as the glow of the couple's pendants touched them while they floated to the marble floor. They were completely surrounded in a room filled with red and blue, which would turn violet when the colors mixed.

"I told you their true beauty would be revealed," said Battousai, his voice softer than before as he squeezed her hand before letting go.

Kaoru smiled at his comment in agreement, but frowned when Akuma and Amaterasu's pendants stopped their display of colors and left them in the dark.

"Come, we should have finished by now," said Battousai as he turned and walked toward the pair of doors they had previously entered.

Remembering the third rule Battousai had placed upon her to follow at all times, Kaoru looked at the dark room one last time before following her husband outside to the awaiting Crimson Guards.

xXx

The General of the Crimson Guards glared at his Captain as Yukishiro Enishi took his time in getting to the doors of the Ceremonial Room. His usually calm, chocolate depths were filled with anger as the white-haired Vampire walked over and gave him a respectful bow as it was expected from him.

"What are you trying to kill with your eyes?" questioned Enishi as he took his post beside the door that his superior wasn't at.

"You should have returned after you dropped off the girls. I smell blood, Enishi, so don't bother to make excuses about where you've been. Your orders were to return back as soon as possible. What if we had to go out and get another batch of humans?" demanded Sano, clearly annoyed at the other Vampire's actions.

Rolling his eyes, Enishi simply adjusted his spectacles on his nose and said calmly, "I was going off of your idea that this girl--what's her name?--was the one. You said so yourself that she was most likely going to be the one. As you can see, you didn't bring her to the Sakura, which meant that she was and is the one His Majesty has been looking for."

"You know, you're always a lot more laid back after a drink, but after you get over your rush, you're going to realize that you missed the introduction of our future–-no present queen. Lord Battousai won't be too happy when he finds out why you missed such an important thing, Enishi. You even missed the chance to see what he had given to her as a wedding gift," said Sano, his grin growing larger as the Captain of the Crimson Guards grew paler.

"How long have they been inside?" Enishi asked almost desperately, finally collecting himself as he stood up straight.

"Almost half an hour and the last I checked the Wedding Ceremony wasn't supposed to last this long. You're lucky that Lord Battousai and Lady Kaoru haven't come out yet. His Majesty would have been furious that you had disrespected the acknowledgment of his queen," said Sano smugly, loving the feel of making the other Vampire squirm.

"Lady Kaoru? You mean…she has the same name as Princess Kaoru of the Royal Family?" questioned Enishi as his brows knitted together at the thought.

General Sagara Sanosuke nodded, and before Enishi could throw him another one of his theories, the black doors of the Ceremonial Room began to open. The two had immediately went still and straight when they realized their king was coming out.

When their king and queen were both out of the dark room, the two Vampires walked in front of the couple and bowed low as the doors to the Ceremonial Room closed on their own.

"At ease," said Battousai as he made a motion with his hands for them to straighten up.

The two members of the Crimson Guards looked over at their queen and couldn't help but notice the pendant around her neck and her flushed face. It was obvious that something else went on inside the room besides the Wedding Ceremony.

"I leave the problems of my people to you to handle tonight, General Sagara, and you shall assist him Captain Yukishiro," said Battousai flatly as he walked past them with his wife at his side.

"As you wish, milord," chorused the two as they turned and bowed toward his retreating figure. They knew that Lord Battousai would have known if they hadn't and risking one's life for such a careless mistake was idiotic.

"Something definitely went on in there that wasn't supposed to," said Enishi suspiciously when he was certain that the king could not hear him.

After a few seconds of thinking, he turned his attention back on his general.

"Don't look at me, the sound barrier around the room made sure that nothing could be heard in or out of the room," said Sano as he shrugged his shoulders and went in the opposite direction of his king and queen.

"Where are you going?" asked Enishi as he caught up to the taller Vampire.

"To do as I was told, take care of our lord's people's problems while he's getting to know our lady better," said Sanosuke as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and maybe it was after Battousai's orders. The King's words were law after all.

Sighing, Enishi fell behind Sano as they made their way toward the King's Working Room, where they were sure that a pile of issues from the other noble Vampires and human leaders were awaiting them.

xXx


	6. Chapter Five

**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, or any of its characters. I've gathered Vampire facts around the web so therefore I take no credit on that part, but I do own the plot.

xXx

_**Chapter Five**_

xXx

"_The Castle--named by the followers of Vampire Lord Battousai–-is a dark and looming figure that seems to reach even beyond the ebony clouds hovering over the citadel. Not a single ray of light from the sun is able to leak through the barrier in which Nature itself has created around the Castle. It is just too cold and too gloomy to penetrate and too damned to deserve the warmth of Amaterasu's power."_

"What are you reading, Misao?" asked the soft voice of Omasu as she looked over her friend's shoulder and at the book in the other girl's hands.

Startled at the sudden interruption of her reading, the younger Vampire snapped her novel shut instinctively. It had become a bad habit: to remain as secretive as possible around others.

"Just a story, or more like an informative guide on where we're all about to work at," said the Vampire, her pale fingers throwing her long, ebony braid behind her when it swayed onto her shoulders again.

Adjusting her placed up bun, Omasu smiled, "Did you find anything interesting?"

The moment that Misao had mentioned she was reading about where they were all heading, the three other pairs of eyes in the carriage were upon her.

The four other passengers in the carriage, who were all heading toward the Castle to serve Lord Battousai, were now looking at her expectantly to continue.

"Well," started Misao nervously as she raced a finger down the spine of her red book, "the novel says that the area around the Castle has not seen daylight ever since Lord Battousai came into power in 2225. It's rumored that there's a natural barrier around the palace, but Vampires who have come into contact with Lord Battousai say that it is his own power that prevents the sun from becoming visible on his haven. Still, others say that Amaterasu herself is too afraid to go up against him, and thus leaves him alone."

"Isn't that a good thing?" asked the larger of the two boys in the horse-drawn carriage.

"We're Vampires, Kuro. Of course that's a good thing! Now we don't have to worry about staying up during the hours in which the sun is supposed to be out," smiled the skinnier male, his fangs becoming visible.

"Honestly, Shiro, do you always think about how things will benefit you when you do something?" snapped the last female of the group, her silky hair flowing over her shoulders.

"Ah, chill out, Okon, you act like going to work for Lord Battousai has any flaws," said Shiro, rolling his eyes when he received a glare from the other Vampire.

Misao shifted slightly in her seat as the two across from each other began to argue and continued her reading.

"It means you imbecile, that if we mess up, Lord Battousai could destroy us faster than we can blink! If he can have a goddess fear him, then what do you think will happen to you when you say something so stupid before him? Lord Battousai will only accept perfection, and I'm sure the gossip about what happens to impudent servants in his presence more than verifies my theory," stated Okon seriously, her truthful words making the other occupants cringe slightly at the cruelty they had heard so much about.

"Is there anything else we should know about?" asked Shiro after a long silence, his eyes lingering on the worn book in Misao's lap.

"The rest is basically the same things we've all already heard," said Misao as she returned the novel back into the backpack she had taken with her.

Leaning back in her seat, Misao looked out the window of the carriage and stared at the tips of the towers of their destination. She could feel the others' eyes on the slowly growing castle and knew that they too were growing anxious.

After a couple of minutes, the silent atmosphere was broken when Kuro spoke again, "You're usually never this quiet, Misao. We've all known you long enough to know when you're more than unsettled about something. Is there something that you've wanted to tell us?"

"Like why you seem so nervous the closer we get to the Castle? Don't try and deny it, everyone knows something's definitely wrong if Makimachi Misao is studying ahead," finished Shiro as he looked over the tense female Vampire before him.

A kick in the leg by Okon made him regret his previous sentence.

"Is my nervousness really that obvious?" asked Misao dejectedly with a sigh.

Her four classmates' nods confirmed it.

"Your aura is so thick with tension that you can cut it with a knife," teased Okon, trying to cheer her sister-figure up.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Omasu asked gently when Misao didn't respond to Okon's joke.

The looks Misao received from those around her reassured her that they didn't mind her not tell them and would not force her to speak about anything that made her uncomfortable.

Summoning all of her courage, Misao whispered as she gripped the soft fabric of her black robes, "L-Lord Battousai killed my parents."

xXx

After walking for what seemed like miles, Kaoru finally stopped in her tracks stubbornly and closed her eyes. Her legs were becoming weak, and ever since she had walked out of the Ceremonial Room and met up with the General and Captain of the Crimson Guard again, she had been feeling a bit light headed. She could tell from the way her body was strangely warm that she was flushed in the face and felt as though she were dehydrating. For some reason, she had a feeling it had to do with what she had done in the room she had just left.

Unconsciously, she placed a hand on her new teardrop-shaped pendant around her neck and recited her favorite verse out of an old song she had known for as long as she could remember in her mind:

"_Through the darkness there's a light so bright that it'll shine through the shadows and hold me tight, it'll remain with me forever as long as I hold onto hope and fight for what's right."_

She didn't bother to move from her position as she heard Battousai's footsteps stop echoing off the stone walls of the hallway.

The teenager slowly opened her eyes when she didn't hear her husband admonish her for stopping their trek to his chambers. It was then that she noticed the soft blue glow of her gift and the red aura of Battousai's pendant, which he was currently looking at.

"Where did you learn those words?" asked Battousai softly when he moved his right hand out to reach for her sapphire crystal.

"I don't know," answered Kaoru, her voice just as light.

Kaoru's eyes followed Battousai's right hand as it came closer to her necklace and knew better than to try and stop him.

The moment that Akuma's and Amaterasu's pendants touched, the two gems sent violet sparks crackling around the area that their ornaments connected. Kaoru could only stare at it, oblivious to the fact that her headache was slowly leaving her.

The power emitted from the direct contact was overwhelming and Kaoru knew that it was much stronger than the force they had created when only they themselves were actually touching. It might have looked insignificant to the twister they had created earlier, but the waves of energy this combination gave off made the difference quite obvious.

Disappointment was etched clearly on her face when Battousai pulled his hand away, making the glow of the pendants cease.

"You said a prayer to keep your mind focused. Your pendant reacted to your words by replenishing your energy," explained Battousai as he grabbed her right hand in his left and began leading her to his chambers again.

"Why?" questioned Kaoru, picking up her pace to catch up with the auburn-haired Vampire. It scared her knowing that Battousai was right, she felt completely refreshed and ready for almost anything.

The farther they walked, the more understanding Kaoru became. She finally realized that by using her blood to write her oath of Eternal Loyalty to Battousai, she had lost quite a bit of her liquids. It was the reason why she felt so dry and weak after they left the Ceremonial Room. Her thoughts were interrupted when Battousai answered her simple question.

"You said a prayer, a personal prayer for Amaterasu to lend you her light. She heard you clearly, because you spoke through her pendant and it sent your words to her. Your plea echoed into my own pendant, which is why I, and Akuma, heard what you said. The power she gave you was also sent to me," clarified Battousai as they walked.

"You mean that our pendants keep us linked together? Whatever happens to your pendant happens to mine?" inquired Kaoru, slowly comprehending how her gift worked.

A curt nod was her only answer as Kaoru felt herself being pulled faster and faster by the King of Earth. It seemed as if he were desperate and had to get somewhere quickly before something else happened.

Unlike her spouse, Kaoru had no real intention on reaching his sleeping chambers any time soon. Her body shivered at the mere thought of what would happen when they were finally alone again.

"If you don't decrease your speed, you're going to detach my right arm from the rest of my body," snapped Kaoru when she felt the strain of her muscles.

The mortal flinched slightly when Battousai turned flaming amber orbs in her direction.

"You felt the current of our power, did you not?" questioned Battousai instead, not bothering to slow down his pace as he looked head on again.

"Yes, but what does that have to do with your sudden increase in speed? You know I'm not as fast as you," stated Kaoru as her eyes fell to her kimono, trying to remind her husband that if she went any faster, she was going to rip her dress. She cringed as she once again remembered that the Vampire before her was now her partner in life.

"If a mere human can feel the whisper of strength in the pendants, then what do you think a Vampire with keen senses felt?" asked Battousai, ignoring her previous comment as he led his confused mate toward his room.

"Every creature on Earth knows you're powerful, what will make this burst of energy any different from your other ones?" scowled Kaoru as the stories of Battousai's entertainment activities came to mind. It hadn't really occurred to her before that she had made a commitment to the monster in the stories used to scare children into bed early.

Still ignoring her, the Vampire kept walking.

Clearly irritated at his behavior, Kaoru stopped walking, or more like running, and placed her feet firmly on the ground obstinately. Her eyes met Battousai's when he paused and faced her again, his eyes just as angry and dangerous as her own.

"You can kiss your village goodbye if you dare to defy me now. I will not hesitate to burn it to the ground, along with everyone and everything in it," threatened Battousai darkly, the pendant hanging around his right wrist visibly glowing crimson.

Biting her lower lip as she caught the venom in his voice, Kaoru forced herself not to argue. There was no point in getting those she cared about killed because of her stubborn pride.

Kaoru looked at the ground when she saw the corners of Battousai's mouth quirk upward.

"I'm glad you see things my way again. Let's go," said the Vampire as he released Kaoru's right hand and once again led the way.

Clenching her fists to her sides, Kaoru reluctantly followed, making sure not to stray too far behind just in case she got lost. She wasn't about to trust the other Vampires in the Castle to give her directions without trying to suck her dry first. Her thoughts were interrupted when Battousai's cold voice resonated off the walls and bounced off her body in ripples.

"Get inside and don't come out no matter what," ordered Battousai the moment they came upon a set of black doors, a dragon circling around a blazing fire carved into the center of the ebony wood.

Kaoru didn't get a chance to admire the design, because one blink later, she was being forcibly pushed forward.

Instinctively, she placed her palms out toward the doors to brace herself from falling and nearly stumbled to the ground when she found herself going through the seemingly solid doors.

Steadying herself before she could land face first onto the black carpet, Kaoru turned around and glared at the door, knowing that behind it stood the being that shoved her inside none too gently.

Walking back over toward the doors, the teenager moved a hand to touch the ink colored-wood, and instead of her hands going through it again, her eyes widened when she saw the wood turn into rock-hard crystal. She moved a hand over the stone and realized that she was locked inside. There was no way she could defy Battousai, not even if she wanted to. What puzzled her, however, was the urgency she had heard in his voice when he told her not to exit the chamber.

Not knowing what else to do, Kaoru did the only thing she could, she looked over the interior designs of the large room.

The moment her eyes fell on the ornaments adorning the walls in her new bedroom, Kaoru took an unconscious step back. She shivered as the feeling of being swallowed alive came to mind and knew that she'd be completely swathed in darkness when the dying flames of the hanging candles went out.

A flash of blue light crossed her eyes, illuminating the entire room and revealing to her the gigantic bed in the back-center of the room, the proudly hanging weapons on the walls, the shelf of books and scrolls in one of the corners, a few doors, and the dragon-surrounding-a-flame statue in the center.

Kaoru took another step back when her extra source of light vanished, the feeling of being alone coming back again to try and swallow her.

She didn't bother to keep from screaming out when she felt a pair of iron-like arms wrap around her waist.

Only when the sound of amused chuckling reached her ears did she stop struggling. The warm laughter was so unexpected that she couldn't help but question her hearing.

"You'll scare yourself to death if you become so tense," warned Battousai almost teasingly as he removed his hands on her hips and strolled over to the general area of the bed.

Seeing Battousai's form slowly vanishing into the shadows, Kaoru almost ran as she moved to walk by his side.

"Afraid to be left alone?" mocked Battousai as he paused to look at his wife.

Sticking her chin in the air, Kaoru replied calmly, "I was merely following you as you told me to. Leaving your side is not an option, remember? What made you make me break it earlier?"

Battousai narrowed his eyes and continued toward the bed as soon as she began to question his previous actions.

"You used your pendant, didn't you?" asked Kaoru when she didn't receive an answer.

It was her statement that made the Vampire Lord stop once more to face her.

"How did I know?" asked Kaoru knowingly. "Well, while you were gone, I saw a flash of blue coming from my pendant, and you yourself had said our pendants are connected in some way or another. I hadn't done anything, so it can only mean that you did something that made my pendant react," said Kaoru matter-of-fact-ly when she finally was able to lead the way toward their next destination. It would have felt much better if it weren't for the reason why they were going to the silk-covered bed in the first place.

"I was covering your trail of power with my own. To allow others to know that you can control Amaterasu's pendant would be an open invitation for them to try and eliminate you. Suspicions would have been aroused had my servants not been taught that I wield Amaterasu's gift as well," answered Battousai truthfully as he stood beside the bed while Kaoru sat on it.

"That's why you married me, so that if I do use my pendant in public, it'll seem as if you are because I'll always be with you," whispered Kaoru carefully, processing the information as the words left her mouth.

Her eyes immediately fell to her hands in her lap as she finally acknowledged what she had gotten herself into by coming to the Castle. She highly doubted that she'd be able to defeat Battousai, even with her new pendant to assist her. It might work on the other Vampires in the Castle, but not on Battousai. Not only was he more experienced than her, he was also in control of everything and anything that she saw. Even if she did somehow manage to escape from his grasp, he'd simply kill those in her village for her incompetence or have her hunted down. The mere thought sent another shiver down her spine.

"So it seems you finally understand your position," said Battousai portentously as he sat down beside his mate and moved his right hand to rest on her left thigh.

Forcing the tears to remain in her eyes, Kaoru didn't bother to struggle as Battousai moved her onto her back. Her eyes drifted shut the same moment the curtains of the bed enclosed around them.

xXx

"Did you feel that?" asked the General of the Crimson Guards as he stopped walking and turned to his Captain for confirmation.

Enishi furrowed his brows as he too stood still and allowed the waves of power to wash over his form. The intensity of the sudden explosion was enough to wipe a village out of subsistence. If he hadn't felt it for himself, he would have never believed that such a power existed.

"It came from over there," said Sanosuke, his dark chocolate eyes moving toward the direction in which their lord and lady had headed in.

Adjusting his cloak so that the silk flowed over his shoulders once more, Enishi pushed his glasses up his nose with his forefinger.

"There's nothing we can do about it but pray that our lord doesn't become angry with us," said Enishi when he felt the undeniable increase in the Vampire Lord's strength.

"Good thing we're not with him at the moment," said Sanosuke with a grin as he too moved his red-rimmed, dark cloak around his figure.

Turquoise eyes graced the red carpeted hall before them and narrowed as the silhouettes of five figures came into view.

"I was wondering when they would arrive. We'll just have to take care of the paperwork in the King's Working Room later, at the moment, we have to tend to our new servants," said Sano as the five new Vampires walked over and bowed accordingly when they saw their clothing.

Snorting at his general's laziness and easily distracted mind, Enishi ordered the Vampires to stand with a motion of his right hand.

"Introductions," ordered Sanosuke after Enishi allowed the group to stand.

"Misao," said the youngest.

"Omasu," answered the short-haired female.

"Okon," replied the long-haired beauty.

"You two must be Kuro and Shiro then," finished Enishi before the others could speak.

"Well, just in case you don't know who we are, I am General Sagara and this is Captain Yukishiro," informed Sano with a smile as he moved a hand in Enishi's direction when he said the other Vampire's name.

"General, Captain," repeated the five as they gave yet another bow to their waists.

"A few rules to keep in mind if you want to live: don't piss off those stronger than you, steer clear of the King unless addressed or ordered to serve him, and keep in mind that obedience is the key to survival," said Enishi emotionlessly, taking in their flinches amusingly.

He couldn't help but roll his eyes when his gaze fell on Sano's large grin after he had said his two cents to the newcomers.

"We're all on the same boat when it comes to being respectful to the Queen, so don't bother to ask the other servants on how to please her. I'm certain you all felt the sudden flare of power when you entered the Castle," stated Sanosuke. His grin grew when five heads nodded in unison at his words. "What you felt was only a glimpse of what our lord can do, and angering our lady will seal your deaths. Good luck serving them."

"What?" Enishi voiced for the five taken aback Vampires, whom were all currently gawking at the spiky-haired man.

"Honestly, why else do you think His Majesty had Shinomori of all people go to Aka Ketsueki in search for the most capable workers?" asked Sanosuke, speaking as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. His eyes wandered to the robes the five were still wearing. He nodded his head as he spoke, "You are allowed to wear that around the Castle for today while you're given the tour. I'm sure Shura won't bite hard if you behave."

Shaking his head at Sano's tactics, Enishi waved a dismissive hand toward the five.

"Shura will find you. She'll tell you all to remember something and to make sure that you understand, so I'll tell you my version of it: Don't even think about trying to go up the Tower in the West Wing, you'll die before you step a foot on the stairs leading up to the Tower. No one is allowed on that side of the Castle, and if anyone orders you to go there, don't. The King will never order such a thing from any of you, so don't try and make excuses if you're caught there," warned Enishi darkly, his eyes turning a deep shade of hunter green.

Gulping, the Vampires nodded before racing off toward the same direction they had just come from.

"You have such a way with words," said Sano sarcastically when the five vanished behind a corner.

Snorting, Enishi walked past his superior and toward their original destination: the King's Working Room. At the rate that things seemed to be going, he doubted that anything was going to remain the same once the month was through.

xXx


	7. Chapter Six

**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, or any of its characters. I've gathered Vampire facts around the web so therefore I take no credit on that part, but I do own the plot.

xXx

_**Chapter Six**_

xXx

Cobalt eyes stared almost wonderingly at the red canopy that hung overhead as the mind of its owner went over what had just happened. No matter how many times Kaoru tried to convince herself that what occurred had indeed transpired, she still couldn't bring herself mentally to believe it. Never in a million years had she expected for such an event to take place, especially because Lord Battousai, the Ruler of the World, wasn't exactly known to be the kindest person, or rather Vampire, on the planet.

Taking in a deep breath, Kaoru was once again reminded of how difficult it was to take in oxygen with the weight of her husband's head on her bosom. Kaoru couldn't help but blush as her heart beat quickened at the mention of what her sleeping spouse had done to her only minutes earlier.

The moment he had laid her down on her back, she had expected him to do what all the newly weds did on their wedding night. From the stories she had heard from the new brides in her village, she was certain that what Battousai didn't do was the main part of the entire bonding ritual, in both the human and Vampire cultures. None of his actions even resembled the face burning details she constantly picked up from the gossiping, elderly women she had gotten to know so well during her life outside the Castle. However, they weren't too far the stories either.

Kaoru felt her face redden with heat as the raw images of the Vampire in her arms crossed her mind once again. The very memory of his amber, cat-like eyes filled with lust sent shivers down her spine as she thought about the desire she had seen in his gaze as he looked at her. She could almost feel his demanding, yet gentle lips on her own, and even the sensation of his fangs gracing her skin was still fresh in her mind. The feel of his powerful hands pushing down her kimono to her shoulders, and his mouth trailing from her lips to her left shoulder made her inwardly shudder. It seemed that after tonight, everything he did was going to have an effect on her, one way or another.

However, all of his slow and sumptuous actions were nothing compared to the phenomenon she experienced when his fangs pierced her skin. The feeling of her blood being forced to circulate her veins and flow into Battousai's mouth was indescribable.

The act of having her vital fluids taken away from her should have made her weaker, but throughout the entire ordeal she felt her strength multiply instead. Her gut instincts told her that the swirls of blue and red she had seen surround them was the reason for her strange reaction toward Battousai's advances. She highly doubted that his normal victims ever arched into his body while he fed off of them.

Kaoru was pulled out her thoughts as she felt her husband's arms wrapped around her waist and back tighten. Her inability to live without air reminded her that she was still human, and that if Battousai didn't loosen his hold soon, she was going to turn blue instead of red within a few seconds.

Unable to move due to his entire weight on her body, Kaoru groaned as struggled to get out from under his form. She could only assume that the Vampire was a very heavy sleeper.

Sighing, Kaoru relaxed and laid back down as comfortably as she could when she noticed the look on her husband's face. If she wasn't so biased at the moment, she would have thought Battousai was actually a kind being with the peaceful expression on his face.

Knowing the stories of the cruel Vampire Lord, Kaoru knew better than to judge a book by its cover. Kind and anything within its league was everything Battousai wasn't.

Finally able to loosen herself enough to breathe, Kaoru settled her head back against the black pillows.

Looking down at her husband, Kaoru was oddly reminded of a baby sleeping after drinking a bottle of warm milk. In all truth, Battousai had indeed had a warm drink, but in no way was he a baby.

However, what confused the new bride the most was why the Vampire was still resting. She was certain she had moved and squirmed enough to awaken him by now.

Suddenly, as if drowned in cold water, Kaoru realized why Battousai had kept his room so dark, and why the bed was covered with red curtains: Vampires slept from dawn to dusk. From the way her husband had so gracefully transitioned from his wakeful state to his deep slumber had made her forget that she had arrived in the castle just before dinner.

No matter how dark the area around the Castle was, the Vampires within still slept during the hours of the sun's reign over the sky. It was such a strong part of Vampire culture that it had never been conquered, not even by the oldest Damned alive, who was currently sleeping on top of her.

Kaoru sighed once more when she noted that moving out of her husband's powerful hold was impossible while he was so deep in slumber.

It was going to be a very _long_ day.

xXx

Arising from her sleep, Kaoru groggily opened her eyes before snapping them open when she noted the absent weight on her chest. Unsure of how long she had been asleep, the new bride struggled to get herself on her elbows and scan the room in hopes of finding her missing groom.

Eyes refusing to adjust to the darkness of the room, Kaoru rubbed her eyelids with the back of her hand. Her pupils widened when she finally noticed a pair of golden orbs staring at her.

"Finally awake?" drawled the all too familiar baritone voice.

The sound of chuckling made the queen cock her head slightly toward the disbelieving noise. She was still not use to hearing the most feared being on Earth laugh.

Before she was able to contemplate whether or not what she heard was real, Kaoru unconsciously gasped when she felt something sharp caress her bare shoulder and then move down toward the valley of her breasts. She felt the hairs on her body rise from her goose bumps as one of Battousai's hands cradled her neck while the his other arm made its way around her back.

When his hold on her intensified, Kaoru gave in and closed her eyes as she once again felt her skin being ripped apart enough to allow her blood to flow freely from her body and into Battousai's awaiting mouth.

Reflexively, the Vampire's queen wrapped her arms around her husband's neck in an attempt to help ease the trembling experience. Eyes still closed, the reddening of Battousai's eyes went unheeded as he took his fill from her. Even the red radiance that surrounded her mate didn't register as the sensation she had encountered only the night before washed over her form for the second time.

Her hold on the King's neck loosened only when she felt him pull his lips away from her skin.

Slowly, Kaoru opened her eyes and furrowed her brow in confusion when she witnessed the crimson rims around the Vampire's irises.

Taken aback when she saw the evident bloodlust in the King's unwavering gaze, the teenager would have dropped back onto the bed if it weren't for Battousai's firm hold on her back.

The desire in his eyes was as transparent as glass. He craved--no wanted, needed her, but whether it was for her body or her blood she couldn't tell. However, his next words confused her even further.

"Do you know how rare it is for a Vampire to sleep and wake up to find his or her victim from the night before right underneath him or her, resting peacefully and _alive_?" asked Battousai as he traced her jaw line with one of his pale fingers.

Slightly light headed, Kaoru shook her head no.

Looking into Battousai's eyes, Kaoru knew what she saw and knew that she could do nothing to stop him from getting what he wanted. She knew the look in his eyes, the lust was evident, and knowing that he had the _right_ to do such a thing to her made her shudder.

There really was no point in struggling, not with him being more than ten times stronger than her. She could scream, but honestly, who would save her? No one was that courageous or stupid enough to do such a thing as defy the King. _However_, it didn't mean she had to cooperate completely. He did _need_ her after all. If he was going to convince the world he wielded both pendants, he was going to need her _alive_ and well, or at least well enough so that she could remain by his side every day for the rest of her life.

"Contemplating over ideas never helped anyone. The actions made were what made differences," said Battousai suddenly, his eyes looking at her almost knowingly.

Kaoru's eyes widened as she realized her mistake: Battousai _knew_ what she was been thinking, knows exactly what she is thinking right now.

The mere thought of him knowing everything that went through her mind made her blush out of anger and embarrassment from her earlier thoughts.

Kaoru took in a sharp hiss of air when she felt Battousai's finger travel down her throat and once again toward her bosom.

His clawed finger left a burning trail against her skin as it went further downward. The heat of his touch was overwhelming and she couldn't help but squirm as she felt as if her very veins were lit on fire. Her entire body was set ablaze and she wanted no more than to tear her clothes off or indulge her self in cold water, but the hold the Vampire had on her refused her the ability of doing either.

By the time the sensation subsided, Kaoru could hear herself panting for air as Battousai's finger began to tear at the fabric of her clothing, revealing the top curve of her breasts to his amber gaze.

It startled her at how sensitive she was to the Vampire's touch, and the glowing warmth at the pit of her stomach did nothing to help her keep her dignity.

For reasons unknown, she wanted to feel so much more than just his fangs and finger on her skin. It was if any physical contact between them sent jolts of electricity through her, leaving her yearning for the sensation to crash down on her again and again.

Kaoru bit her lower lip as she realized where her mind was leading to.

In some part of her half fried brain, the teenager could faintly remember how she was supposed to be appalled by his actions, and that craving for it was against what she stood for.

Thought in mind, Kaoru turned her head in another direction, away from Battousai's radiating face as she waited for him to do as he wished to her body. When nothing happened, and the Vampire's finger stopped its original trek down her body, Kaoru looked back toward her husband and noticed that Battousai was staring at _her_, instead of her semi-exposed breasts as she had expected.

In all honesty, she knew that he had been looking at her face expressions the entire time, and her gut feeling told her he saw more than her pride would have wanted him to.

Slightly dazed at his sudden discontinuation, Kaoru openly yelped as he pulled her roughly toward his chest so that their faces were mere millimeters away from each other.

Amused, Battousai whispered calmly, his breath caressing her trembling lips, "You should have been burnt alive from the inside out, my pet."

Realization dawned as Kaoru finally understood why the Undead's touch felt so warm, why it seemed almost unbearable. But why it felt so addictive she had yet to comprehend. What startled her the most, though, was that she didn't _hate_ the Vampire. Not even after knowing that he had tried to kill her.

Why she didn't loathe him, she had no clue. It seemed as if her sense of reason had left her completely.

Her attention was drawn out of her thoughts when Battousai's dark voice echoed throughout the room and her mind once more.

"No one has ever survived Akuma's power except for me," the King added as he stroked her loose ebony locks almost thoughtfully, his other hand firmly wrapped against her back, "and now you."

Allowing his words to sink in, Kaoru narrowed her eyes at him. His words had sparked something in her and the amused gaze in his eyes did nothing to quench the growing fire he had so carelessly started.

"Why don't you just kill me? You know you can," she spat venomously, inwardly startled at her choice of words. It was as if something that had lain dormant within her mind had slipped out and taken control while she was still conscious.

Battousai's eyes narrowed into slits to match her own before he pulled her even closer so that the tip of their noses touched.

"It'd be a waste of blood," explained the Vampire before he smirked, "and a perfectly good body."

By the time Kaoru's mind registered Battousai's rough lips on her smooth ones, the Damned had already managed to part her lips further until his tongue forced its way into her mouth completely. The feel of his tongue caressing the roof of her mouth sent tingles down her throat and through her body.

The fire in her ignited as she felt Battousai move her onto her back on the bed and began thrashing around for him to release her. Even as she tried to pry him off of her, his lips held firm against her own. His entire weight on her body left her immobile, and her hands were pinned against his chest, effectively stopping her from further attempting to push him away.

Slowly, her struggling body against his own ceased when his hands explored her curves, seemingly placing pressure on all the right places that forced her tensed muscles to relax. Within a few seconds, he had successfully turned her bones into jelly, allowing him to explore the rest of her mouth effortlessly.

After exploring and memorizing every inch of her mouth, Battousai parted their connection and once again permitted her to breathe in as much air as she pleased with a smirk on his lips.

Leaning his face toward her right ear, Battousai whispered, "The past is the past."

The deep voice and the caress of his warm breath against her ear caused her to shudder. She knew she had lost the war before it even started.

The fire Battousai had created had suddenly died with his words, and in turn, it left her even more baffled at the functioning of her own mind. She frowned when she finally acknowledged that Battousai knew something that she didn't. The Vampire had the advantage, both mentally and physically.

Kaoru couldn't help but feel slightly relieved when her husband released her from his hold and moved off of her body. However, it didn't stop her from becoming even further mystified than she already was when Battousai shifted his position and opened the curtains within his reach.

Seeing the King move to stand up, Kaoru raised a brow at his actions. She was certain that he would have finished what he had started last night when he had pushed her back against the surface of the bed.

As if hearing her silent question, Battousai answered calmly, "When I claim you, it will be _you_ who begs to have the deed done." When no answer came, he looked over his shoulder and added confidently with his infamous smirk, "And it _will_ be done willingly."

With that said, Battousai stood and started his trek toward one of the doors connected to their sleeping chambers.

Insulted or thankful, Kaoru couldn't decide what she felt as she contemplated over the words that had left the Vampire's mouth.

A smile crept onto her face as she realized what his words meant. He was allowing _her_ to decide whether or not they finished their wedding ritual, and personally, she had no intent on giving up on her last link to her old life.

She was a virgin before she left her village and she was hell bent on remaining one until she was ready, but with Battousai as her spouse, she highly doubted she would be ready any time soon in this lifetime.

"Are you coming, or do I need to remind you of the third rule?"

Snapping out of her thoughts at hearing Battousai's aggravated voice, Kaoru scrambled to get out of the bed in a much better mood than when she had first gotten into it.

xXx

"How in the Seven Hells does he do it?" complained the spiky brown-haired General of the Crimson Guards as he threw his hands up in the air in defeat.

At hearing his Captain chuckle from the back of the room, Sagara Sanosuke sent a pointed glare in his direction before leaning back against the ruby-embedded chair.

"If you think you can do better, then why don't you take care of these damn situations?" challenged Sanosuke as he waved a hand over the piles of papers and rolls of scrolls on the ebony-wooden desk before him.

Walking out of the shadows and allowing the flickering of the candlelight to illuminate his face, Enishi simply shook his head.

"You know I'm no good at giving orders. I'm much better at following them," said the white-haired Vampire after walking around the desk and taking a seat in front of his superior.

"More like passing them on, you mean," snorted Sano knowingly.

Grinning in silent agreement, Enishi took off his spectacles and wiped it clean with his red outlined cloak, which he was required to wear around the castle to show his ranking.

"I never thought about it before, but man does Batts have a lot on his hands. He finishes all of his work in one night, by _himself_! We spent the rest of last night doing this and have been working on it since we woke up and we're _still_ not done!" whined Sano.

Taking his time in placing his glasses back on, Enishi slowly got back onto his feet.

"Where do you think you're going?" demanded Sano when he saw the other Vampire turn to leave.

"To feed," was the monotonous reply.

Raising his brow, Sano quickly stood up and walked over to his Captain before he could move down the steps to the main part of the King's Working Room and out the doors.

"We have to finish our work first! You know what the King will do to us if he finds out we haven't even taken care of one fourth of his workload," reminded Sano seriously.

Stopping at the edge of the steps, Enishi turned around and stated calmly, "We're Vampires, and everyone knows we _need_ to feed before we collapse from exhaustion. How are we supposed to help the King if we can't even move our arms?"

Frowning at knowing that the other Vampire was right, Sano sighed before giving in with a nod.

"All right, we'll leave and a get a quick drink. But we come right back afterwards! No stalling at the Sakura," said Sano as he took the lead.

Smirking, Enishi followed his general out of the workroom and toward the infamous brothel, but not before pausing upon turning the corner.

xXx

"All right, last night we got through most of the castle before we all had to rest. So, up to this point, do any of you have any questions?" asked a sea green-haired Vampire, her hair neatly tied back at the nape of her neck as she led them around the large citadel.

Nervously, the shortest of the group spoke up first, "When are we to serve His Majesty and Her Majestys, Miss Shura?"

Turning to face the anxious group, the oldest maid in the castle gave them an almost poignant look as if to say they were foolish for being so enthusiastic about serving the eldest Vampire in existence.

"There's only the North Wing to see, and I won't even bother with the West Wing, since no one goes there," said Shura as she ticked off in her mind what she needed to tell the five. "I guess that you'll be able to help our lord and lady after we see the north part of the castle, which is where Lord Battousai mostly resides. Do you remember what I told you about the other parts of the castle?"

Gathering her courage, Omasu answered, "The South Wing is where the servants' sleeping quarters are located, and the East Wing is for the guests as well as the other noble Vampires currently staying in the Castle."

"Correct," said Shura with an approving nod.

"Since we're the only ones working for the King and Queen, we are to always remain in the North Wing," added Shiro proudly.

"That's right. So why don't we go check out your living quarters then? Your new working clothes will be in your rooms and I'm sure you're all going to be glad to get out of your present robes. Oh, and like the place you all stayed in during the day, it's three to a room--one for the ladies and another for the gentlemen. There's one more person that you haven't met yet, and I can only pray that you boys manage to survive with him," said Shura, giving the two male Vampires a sympathetic look before turning and leading them down yet another corridor.

Exchanging glances, the five paled even further, if that was possible, at the thought of having to deal with someone even an experienced Vampire such as Shura didn't want to handle.

"If there is one thing Lord Battousai doesn't approve of, it's laziness," called Shura from around a corner.

Realizing just how far behind they were, the five raced around the corner, only to find themselves lost and uncertain of where to go.

"Where did she go? She couldn't have gone that far," said Okon as she looked down the three other paths ahead of them.

With each hallway covered in darkness, except for the small torches on the wall, it was hard to tell whether or not something or another was the shadow of their mentor.

"We're in the center of the castle, aren't we? It should be self explanatory as to why there are four paths. Each one probably leads to another part of the castle," stated Misao, beaming at the fact that she would be the one to save them from getting lost. "We just came from the South Wing, so that means that the pathway in front of us leads to the North Wing, and that's where we'll find Shura."

Nodding at their friend's logic, the other four followed quietly as Misao led them from the large intersection and through the hallway in front of them.

It wasn't until they emerged from the pathway that they realized just what they had gotten themselves into by accepting Lord Battousai's earlier offer.

xXx


	8. Chapter Seven

**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, or any of its characters. I've gathered Vampire facts around the web so therefore I take no credit on that part, but I do own the plot.

xXx

_**Chapter Seven**_

xXx

She was in a happy mood, a _very_ happy mood. Nothing was going to ruin her cheerful mood, not even the darkest Vampire in the world, who was presently walking beside her. There were many reasons why she should be in a bad mood, why she should be sulking instead of practically skipping down the halls beside her husband, but those reasons haven't really registered in her overenthusiastic mind yet. She was just too absorbed in the fact that she wasn't going to be forced to do something she didn't want to, and that in itself was enough to make her forget how Battousai had literally stared when she came out of the shower–-a device that she could _really_ get use to–-with nothing on but a second skin of water droplets.

Despite her jolly mood, Kaoru couldn't help but blush when she remembered the way amber eyes had dragged over her body in approval, leaving burning trails as they worked their way downward. She had blushed like crazy as he examined her, but she had promptly refused to hide herself from him and forced herself to remain still and not give into impulse and cover herself. There was nothing to be ashamed of, they were _married_ after all, and he had the right to stare if he so chose to, it was just slightly unnerving. Then again, she had unabashedly stared when he came out of the bathroom with nothing on but a towel around his waist. She had literally dropped her towel, which she had been using to dry her hair after getting herself into a new figure-hugging dress, when she noticed the muscle and perfection of the Vampire's upper body. It was another thing she could get use to.

Moving her hands to her burning cheeks, the Queen of the World shook her head to fight back the images that were currently going through her mind.

'_Bad, Kaoru, bad!'_ Kaoru scolded herself, doing her best to forget about earlier this morning, or rather evening.

"You really need to learn to keep your thoughts to yourself, koishii," grinned Battousai as he looked in her direction once they turned a corner.

Whipping her head toward her husband, Kaoru silently fumed at the thought of the Vampire once again reading her thoughts for his own entertainment.

In a terribly sweet voice, Kaoru answered, "You really need to work on respecting others' privacy, _anata_."

Kaoru fought the urge to pull away when Battousai wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her closer to his body so they were eye level. She sucked in a gulp of air at how easily she could feel the heat of his body through the silk that made up her black, long-flowing dress. She was certain that she might have been burned if not for the thick, red and black material he adorned.

"Your privacy is my privacy, kitten," said Battousai when their noses touched.

The new bride frowned and pulled her head back slightly so she could see his entire face, raising a questioning brow at her husband.

"Kitten?" asked Kaoru, confused by the new nickname.

Battousai chuckled as he pulled her closer to him, whispering his reply in her ear, "You purr in your sleep, kitten."

Blushing at the comment, Kaoru tried to pull away, but found herself unable to with iron-like hands firmly holding her in place.

"You wanted something else, _anata_?" asked Kaoru with venomous sugariness as she played along, snaking her arms up and around his neck and moving her face closer to his.

Kaoru's fingers were only a hair's breadth away from capturing Battousai's ponytail and yanking on it when a familiar deep voice cut through the atmosphere.

"Holy shit!"

Literally jumping two inches off of the floor, Kaoru would have turned around in surprise and embarrassment at the General of the Crimson Guards, but Battousai's hold on her waist wouldn't allow her the privilege. His grip on her middle tightened protectively when the sound of multiple gasps reached their ears from behind them.

"Your Royal Majesties," spoke up the calm voice of the Captain when silence filled the corridor for a good 30 seconds.

"Your Royal Majesties," chorused multiple voices from all around them.

Feeling absolutely mortified at the thought of being caught "seducing" the King of Earth, Kaoru buried her face in her husband's shoulder, willing the flaming of her cheeks to cool down.

xXx

Turning the corner, Sanosuke's jaw dropped and Enishi's eyes nearly smashed through his glasses at the scene before them. Never in a thousand years had they ever thought the scene before them was capable of happening. Yes, Lord Battousai was married now, but still! The thought of the Vampire actually having a physical relationship with anyone, much less a human, was too shocking to take in.

Vampire Lord Battousai was known for his distaste of the opposite sex throwing themselves at him, heck, he was known to kill servants that actually brushed against his clothing!

For centuries, the Elders had feared Battousai would never mate, and they had a good reason: the Vampire had completely shut himself up in his training and duties after taking over the world more than 400 years ago. It was as if whatever had happened in the Castle 444 years ago had completely consumed him and left him with no desire to seek the comfort from the other sex whatsoever. If Battousai didn't radiate absolute male power, some would have guessed him to be homosexual.

Therefore, it was a completely normal reaction on the General and Captain's part. The entirety of the situation was well beyond mind boggling.

Gapping at the desire they saw in their master's eyes, the two stared when Battousai allowed his wife to move her hands up his arms and around his neck. Their shock finally fully registered when they noticed that their king didn't push their queen away when she made to touch his hair. _No one _touched the hair! Hell, no one touched Battousai, period.

Unable to contain his surprise, Sano blurted out, "Holy shit!"

A dreadful silence filled the corridor when it became a known fact that the couple was not alone.

Gathering himself, Enishi sent the General of the Crimson Guards a glare for the Vampire's stupidity, and winced when he noticed Battousai's own death glare directed at them. His eyes widened slightly when gasps reached his ears from behind his king and queen. This was just great, now they were _all_ going to get punished. He felt slightly sorry for Shinomori. The Vampire was going to have to go searching for not only new servants for their king and queen, but a new general and captain too.

Not wishing to get anyone else into any more trouble, or get beheaded himself, Enishi immediately bowed to his waist and addressed his superiors, "Your Royal Majesties."

The others quickly caught on and mimicked him.

All around the corridor, the same three words echoed off of the stone walls. "Your Royal Majesties."

Countless seconds ticked by before they were finally able to stand up straight from their bows.

"At ease," commanded Battousai with a wave of his hand, his other hand still protectively placed around his wife's waist.

"Our apologies, Your Majesties," said Enishi, the official spokesperson for the group of unfortunate Vampires.

Battousai was about to respond when another gasp from further up in the North Wing caught the attention of those in the passageway.

"Your Royal Majesty, please forgive the new servants, it was not their fault!" excused the oldest maid in a rush as she raced in front of the five youngest Vampires and bowed to the King. "I was showing them around the Castle and had gone off ahead, it's my fault that they're here. Please, if you are to punish anybody, then punish me for being so careless, Your Majesty."

"These are my new servants?" questioned Battousai as he turned his amber gaze on the five Vampires, who all bowed their heads when his eyes swept their forms, each one knowing better than to meet his gaze right on.

"Yes, Milord," confirmed Shura, remaining in her bowed position so as not to further insult the Vampire.

"Why then are they in graduating robes?" demanded Battousai, his hold on his wife never wavering.

Sanosuke, wishing to prove himself from his previous outburst, answered, "They have only been legal Vampires since yesterday, Your Majesty. They're the five that Commander Shinomori suggested from the University of Aka Ketsueki."

"Did Grand Commander Hajime approve?" inquired Battousai as he turned his attention to his general and captain.

"Yes, Sire," replied Enishi.

Battousai's eyes scanned the younger Vampires once more before he nodded. He then looked down at his mate, a smile tugging at his lips when he noticed that she still refused to face the ones that had interrupted them.

"My Queen, do you not wish to see the faces of your new servants?" asked Battousai as he moved a stray lock of hair behind her ear with a gentleness that even his general and captain hadn't known he possessed.

Kaoru was about to shake her head when she realized how weak she was appearing before the others. She was their queen. She wasn't supposed to go running behind her husband at every discomfort! Okay, so maybe many queens before her have done just that, but Kaoru refused to be a pampered princess! She was going to try and live as much in the same fashion as she had lived before she was given the title of Queen of Earth.

Looking up at her lord, Kaoru frowned and shook her head.

"I really do not see the use of servants, My Liege," said Kaoru, hoping that her husband would allow the five Vampires to leave and live more proper lives. She did not wish to be the reason for the discomfort of others.

Battousai looked at his wife oddly before turning to face a pale Shura. "Kill them."

"What?" asked Kaoru in shock, not really believing what Battousai had just ordered. He had spoken them so calmly that she might have mistaken them for words about the weather if she hadn't been paying attention to what he was actually saying.

Facing his queen once again, Battousai said simply, "If you do not wish them as your servants, then they are of no use to us."

Kaoru gaped at the Vampire incredulously, her hands sliding from his neck to his chest when she realized she had just sealed the fate of five innocent–-she decided to overlook the fact that they were Vampires-–creatures.

Shura glanced at the head-bowed Vampires behind her and gave them all a sympathetic glance before she bowed to the King. In a slightly quivering voice of regret, Shura said in resignation, "As you--"

"No," cut off Kaoru as she glared at her husband, who was looking at her in beguilement.

"No?" questioned Battousai.

"I won't allow you to kill them," said Kaoru defiantly as she took a step away from him, surprising everyone else in the room.

"Really now?" asked Battousai curiously, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

Kaoru took a few seconds to think before she grinned, jutting out her chin and squaring her shoulders as she stated, "They are _my_ servants. You yourself said that they are _my_ new servants, therefore, their lives are in _my_ hands, and I want them alive."

An undeniably long silence went on before the Vampire Lord made his decision.

"Indeed I have," said Battousai, waving off his previous orders.

"Really?" asked Kaoru amazed, stunned that Battousai had actually given in so easily. She had thought that he would have been more stubborn. Obviously, Battousai was a man of his word.

"Really," confirmed Battousai with a nod of his head.

Acting purely out of childish instinct, Kaoru threw her arms around Battousai's neck and hugged him, repeating the words "Thank You" again and again.

The General and Captain of the Crimson Guards openly stared at their queen, completely awestruck by the Queen's ability to do such humane things to the King and not be decapitated. Both men turned to each other and grinned before they looked back over to the couple and toward a sighing Shura and five thankful Vampires.

Finally realizing that her behavior wasn't proper for a person of her position, Kaoru blushed and pulled back, her cheeks burning uncontrollably when she noticed her husband's slightly widened eyes. She tried her best to hold in a giggle when she noticed the change in his expression. He was blinking at her as if he had never been hugged before in his long life, which was probably quite possible with the Vampire's reputation.

Kaoru was tempted to hug him again just to see what the Vampire would do, but decided against it when she noticed the blushes from her new servants.

Recovering, Battousai sent his grinning men a glare, which had them straightening up and controlling their expressions immediately.

"Are they familiar with the Castle yet?" asked Battousai as he once again looked at the Head Castle-Maid.

"They only have the North Wing to see, My Lord King," answered Shura with a bow.

"Show them the North Wing then," ordered Battousai. "Have them cleaned up and presentable within the Crimson Room in an hour."

"Yes, of course, Your Majesty," said Shura with a grateful bow.

The five Vampires, who had remained silent throughout the entire ordeal, all bowed as well before quickly following after their mentor.

Once they rounded a corner, Kaoru moved back to her spot at her husband's left while Battousai glared at his nervous men.

"Earl of Tsuchi," addressed Battousai as he looked at Sanosuke, "Baron of Mizu," he glanced at Enishi, "what are two doing here? Did I not assign you a mission yesterday? Or have you already finished last night's issues?"

Gulping, Sano and Enishi exchanged nervous glances before facing their king and shaking their heads.

"We were hoping to feed before we got back to work, My Lord. We truly had no intentions on interrupting you, Your Majesties," apologized Enishi as the two men bowed.

"You truly are a remarkable being, My Liege," complimented Sanosuke sincerely, "you manage to accomplish four times more issues on your own every night than the both of us could do in the span of two. I applaud you, My Lord."

"Words of honey will not excuse you, Earl Sagara," said Battousai darkly.

"Not words of honey, Your Majesty," grinned Sano, "but words of truth."

Kaoru fought the urge to giggle while Battousai forced himself not to roll his eyes.

"Go feed then," said Battousai with a dismissive gesture of his hand, "I'll finish the rest on my own."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," bowed both men before they quickly went on their way to the Sakura once more.

Battousai shook his head as he led his wife toward his working room, a headache already forming at the thought of all of the work he would have to do tonight to make up for last night.

"You know, anata," spoke up Kaoru after a few minutes of silent walking, "how am I supposed to effectively order about my servants when I'm to be with you at all times? It'll be a bit awkward, for both my servants and myself."

"If you're trying to get out of following our third rule, then it's not working, kitten," said Battousai pointedly as he sent Kaoru a knowing look.

Kaoru sighed. At least she tried. She should have known that her luck wouldn't last this long.

Upon entering an open area, where multiple servants were cleaning the black marble tiles, statues, paintings, and various decorations in absolute silence, Kaoru watched bemused as Battousai snapped his fingers.

A servant quickly raced over to them with a quick bow, keeping a step behind them as they continued their way through the open, domed-ceilinged area.

"Have my usual sent to my working room immediately," ordered Battousai.

The servant bowed once more before quickly vanishing to do his bidding.

"Is that how I'm supposed to order about my servants?" asked Kaoru once they had entered yet another large and long hallway. Kaoru was beginning to wonder how anyone ever managed to remember his or her way around the Castle without occasionally getting lost.

For a long while, the only sounds that responded to her question were the clicking of her high heels–-which had taken her almost half an hour to get use to walking in--and Battousai's polished shoes on the tile beneath their feet. She was just about to give up hope when her husband decided to answer.

"You may do with them as you wish--your wish is their command," said Battousai.

Kaoru frowned. Such a simple answer shouldn't have taken that long to come up with.

"Is there something bothering you, My Lord?" asked Kaoru, making sure to address the Ruler of Earth accordingly just in case someone was listening in on their conversation.

"Nothing is bothering me," snapped Battousai. He whirled around so fast in front of her that Kaoru nearly ran into him.

Steadying herself, Kaoru rolled her eyes.

"_Right_," said Kaoru sarcastically, "and I'm the--" Kaoru stopped when she realized what it was she was just about to say.

At that very moment, everything that had happened in the last 24 hours dawned on her and finally, thoroughly sunk in. It had all seemed like a dream up until now, and the reality of it rocked her to the very core. She was the Queen of the World. Her, ordinary, tomboyish, easily tempered, and unintellectual Kaoru was married to the King of the World!

Kaoru swayed and would have crumpled to the ground in repudiation if Battousai hadn't gotten a hold of her elbows and steadied her. She moved her fingers to her temples and groaned when Battousai moved a hand to her waist and the other to the elbow closes to him to support her. If she wasn't feeling like she wanted to faint, Kaoru would have taken notice of how Battousai's previous scowl had vanished and was replaced by concern.

The last thing she recalled before her mind completely shut down was someone murmuring her name.

xXx

"That was a close one," sighed Shiro in relief once their group rounded the corner and was out of ear shot of the King and Queen. He raced cold, sweaty, and trembling fingers through his spiked hair before falling in place beside Kuro, who nodded in agreement.

"Her Majesty really is something," commented Okon admiringly, "she not only managed to marry the King, but she was actually able to get her way too!"

Omasu smiled, "Our Lady Queen truly is kindhearted."

Misao grinned in adoration at the Queen's fire and willingness to stand up for others. She wasn't at all like all of those other queens you hear about in stories and history.

"Lady Kaoru is not officially our queen yet," said Shura once they arrived at a circular intersection with various doors and other hallways.

"What do you mean, Dame Shura?" asked Omasu in confusion.

Sighing, Shura asked quietly, "Did you five not realize that Her Excellency is still a virgin?"

The girls gasped while the boys stared when they realized what their noses have been silently trying to tell them ever since they entered the corridor.

"Until Lord Battousai and Lady Kaoru's marriage is consummated, we have only half a queen," said Shura.

"Surely there's a reason why their marriage is only half complete," protested Shiro, "or did none of you notice how fond Our Lord King is of Our Lady Queen?"

Shura looked back at the servants and smiled before nodding in agreement, despite the fact that her pupils hadn't realized the significance of their queen still being human.

"Yes, they probably just haven't had the time, after all, their vows were made only a short while before sunrise," agreed Shura.

The others returned the smile. They really didn't want to think about what would happen if they were to have another queen to work for. This one seemed too good to be true and they wanted more than anything to keep her. Lady Kaoru's stay would benefit not only them, but their king as well.

"All right, let's finish this tour and get you five ready to work," said Shura as she walked over to the closest door, her students happily following.

xXx

"Surely you jest!" said Yumi in disbelief as she stared at the two Vampires before her.

Sipping his red drink from a wineglass, Enishi shook his head, his white bangs tumbling over his black glasses.

"Nope, we saw it with our own eyes," gloated Sanosuke after he downed his own shot of alcohol-mixed blood.

Yumi pouted as she poured another glass for the General.

"Outdone by a simple peasant girl," frowned Yumi with a dramatic sigh. "All my efforts pushed down the drain and worth absolutely nothing! I still can't believe that a mere human was capable of doing everything I couldn't do in centuries, in the span of 24 hours. It's not fair!"

The two men openly laughed.

"We should all just be grateful," said Enishi before he grinned at Sano, "at least now we'll be able to get married and legally mated."

Sanosuke smirked. "You don't know how long I've been waiting for Lord Battousai to get chained! I can actually start courting again! I still don't see why the Elders made that stupid rule for. Why does one's king have to marry before his top men can?"

"To assure an heir, of course," answered Yumi as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "They were hoping that you idiots would understand that you were all remaining sexless until you could get Lord Battousai hitched. It was a scam to get you guys to help them get His Majesty married and with an heir."

The General of the Crimson Guards scowled. "What is it with old people wanting children from others?"

"Lord Battousai will not live forever, Sano, none of us will," reminded Enishi. "With His Majesty's previous reactions to the opposite sex, you have to understand their concern. And no matter how powerful and influential the Elders are, they cannot possibly force Our Lord King to do something he does not want to. Why else do you think they were so happy when Lord Battousai announced his search for a queen?"

"Yeah, well, they're not going to get that heir soon," muttered Sano as he gulped down his thick beverage.

"What do you mean, Earl Sagara?" asked Yumi curiously.

Sano rolled his eyes and snorted. "Do drop the formalities,_ Dame _Komagata."

"Do you mind explaining, Enishi?" asked Yumi, ignoring the aggravating general.

Swirling his drink in his glass, the Captain of the Crimson Guards frowned thoughtfully, "His Royal Majesty and Her Majesty haven't been able to complete their marriage yet. There wasn't enough time between their oaths of Eternal Loyalty and sunrise for them to consummate the ritual."

"Why didn't they finish it earlier this evening?" asked Yumi.

"And further fall behind in the issues of the world? You know how Lord Battousai is about being ahead and prepared," said Sano.

"I don't see why you two are worrying though," said Yumi as she smoothed out her kimono from her kneeling position across from the two men, "they've already made their vows. There's no way that either of them can get out of their marriage now, not even Lord Battousai can break a blood contract. You two really should learn to be more patient. They'll obtain an heir sooner or later."

The Earl of Tsuchi and the Baron of Mizu exchanged glances.

"There's just one problem," started Sano a bit awkwardly.

Yumi raised a questioning brow, urging him with her eyes to continue.

"Our Lord King has already drunk from Our Lady Queen," said Enishi slowly, remembering how different Battousai's blood scent and aura were.

"So?" asked Yumi.

"Our Lady Queen is still human," finished Sano.

Both Vampires sighed when Yumi's eyes rolled into her head and she fainted, collapsing onto the floor in shock.

"Shall we?" asked Enishi as he got up from his cushion and moved to Yumi's side.

"Might as well," shrugged Sano as he too got up and helped his friend try and revive the owner of the infamous Sakura.

xXx

**_Note:_** All previous chapters have been revised! I hope they're easier to read now.


	9. Chapter Eight

**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, or any of its characters. I've gathered Vampire facts around the web so therefore I take no credit on that part, but I do own the plot.

xXx

_**Chapter Eight**_

xXx

Kaoru groggily opened her eyes, groaning when the burning light of a candle came into her line of blurred vision.

Covering her sensitive eyes with her arm, Kaoru frowned and whined when she felt someone sit beside her, "Just a few more minutes, Grandpa. I feel so tired right now."

She smiled when she heard her grandfather chuckle, but refused to budge her arm when he tried to pry it away from her face like he had down countless times before.

"I had the most draining of dreams, Grandpa Genzai," said Kaoru, not noticing how her grandfather's hold on her forearm tightened as she recalled all that had happened to her. "I dreamt that I had been called away by the Crimson Guards and taken to the Castle. There, I was chosen to be Lord Battousai's queen! Can you believe that I actually dreamt of meeting and marrying Lord Battousai all in the same evening?" Kaoru giggled at her unrealistic thoughts, but stopped when she didn't hear a laughing response from her guardian. Her grandfather always laughed with her, if only to reassure her that he was there and understood.

She gasped as the hand around her arm squeezed hard enough to leave a temporary bruise, and try as she might, she couldn't free her arm from either her face or the person she had thought was her grandfather.

Kaoru's blood froze in her veins as something dangerously sharp caressed the tip of her left ear.

"I believe you, _Kaoru-chan_," whispered a voice of thick and endless honey. The way he spoke her name was mind numbing, yet at the same time she felt her body awakening to warm electrical bolts.

"Battousai," breathed Kaoru once her brain decided to properly reboot.

The Vampire released her arm and allowed her the honor of seeing him.

Immediately sitting up, Kaoru vainly tried to move as far as possible from the male seated beside her on the crimson chaise, pulling the blanket that had been draped on her over her shoulders out of instinct.

She flinched as his fingers neared her face, recoiling when he threatened to touch her.

With a scowl, Battousai stood and turned his back to her, walking up the three steps that led to his office area, where the worktable covered in folders and scrolls awaited him.

"Save me the trouble of carrying you and keep up your own health," said Battousai as he sat down, not even sparing her a glance as he unrolled the scroll closest to his hand and began to scan it over.

Frowning at Battousai's words, Kaoru looked around the lower half of the room and blushed when her stomach grumbled at the sight of food on the table across from her.

'_So that's why I fainted,' _thought Kaoru as she recalled what had happened earlier. She sent a glare up at the arrogant Vampire as the implied meaning of his words sunk in. _'I wouldn't have to worry about my health if a certain someone didn't see me as a walking snack!'_

At the mention of a "snack," her stomach decided to once again remind her of its emptiness. She had gone an entire day or so without so much as a drop of water--it was amazing that she still had the strength to think properly.

Knowing better than to argue with either her stomach, or her husband, Kaoru stood up after folding the black blanket into a perfect square. Her grandfather would kill her if he knew she wasn't being appreciative of others hospitality, even if she _is_ the Queen of the World. He had always emphasized that one must always leave places or things behind better than one found it, otherwise karma would come back with a vengeance. After all that had happened to her in the last 24 hours, Kaoru wasn't about to take any chances with Fate.

Walking over to the low-table, which was filled with tray-covered plates, Kaoru knelt down on the cushion placed before it.

Kaoru tiredly lifted the silver covering from the plate closest to her, her eyes widening and lungs constricting as the aroma and sight of the meal engulfed her. If she hadn't known any better, she would have thought she had died and gone to Heaven. For someone who was use to eating one bowl of stale rice--and if lucky, with a strip of meat or dried vegetables--each day, this steaming plate full of fish and rice, splashed in a sparkling red sauce, was a dream come true. She couldn't even remember the last time she had been fortunate enough to have fish for dinner, let alone a time when she had any type of sauce to eat it with.

Licking her suddenly dry lips, Kaoru unconsciously clasped her trembling hands over the blue pendant around her neck. She closed her eyes and sent a quick prayer of thanks to Amaterasu.

Opening her eyes, the young queen glanced down at the item between her palms and stared wonderingly at its soft glow.

"If you had planned on rejuvenating without the use of food, then you should have done so sooner," said the annoyed voice of her king.

Kaoru glanced up toward the Vampire's work area and noticed that he too was staring at his own crystal, which was also glowing softly.

She tilted her head to the side as a thought occurred to her, her previous hunger ignored for the time being.

"Why do you still drink blood when Akuma's Pendant--" A glare darker than night silenced her within a heartbeat.

"That's none of your concern, _Kaoru-koishii_," growled Battousai with guarded eyes before he went back to his scrolls.

Suppressing the urge to hit the Vampire over the head with something hard, particularly the bokken she had at home, Kaoru turned her attention back to the meal in front of her. Her fingers itched to strangle the redhead, but she occupied them, for the moment, with a pair of chopsticks. It wouldn't do to waste such good food, and others had already gone out of their way to make it, so she might as well indulge herself.

xXx

Sano ran a hand through his spiky hair of chocolate, taking another sip of his beverage as Enishi gently patted the Sakura owner's cheeks.

"I can't believe she's still out cold," muttered Sano, knowing full well that the Captain of the Crimson Guards could hear him, "even**_ I_** didn't take the news **_that_** badly."

Enishi sighed as he went back to fanning Yumi back to consciousness with his left hand, his right supporting her against him.

"I don't blame her though," said Enishi sympathetically, "after all, this entire situation goes against everything that she–-the entire world to be exact–-has been taught about Lord Battousai."

Sanosuke sighed too, his shoulders slumping in resignation. "Maybe we shouldn't have told her."

"If Yumi can't handle this now, what makes you think she can handle it later when Prime Minister Makoto tells her?" asked Enishi as he sent his superior a reprimanding glance.

"I guess you're right," said Sano as he stared at his drink absently, "she'd probably kill us for keeping such a secret from her." He shifted uncomfortably as he set down his drink and faced the other Vampire. "Do you think it's possible that Our Lady Queen is Our Lord King's--" Sano gulped at the thought, looking down at the floor when he found it difficult to continue.

"I really don't know," whispered Enishi, his eyes distant as he considered the unspoken words, "maybe she is, maybe she isn't." He looked at his general and smirked. "What I do know is that Lady Kaoru is definitely different from all of those other court ladies, especially since Lord Battousai has entrusted her with Amaterasu's Pendant." The white-haired Vampire smiled. "If she truly is who we think she is, then I won't be surprised."

Sanosuke grinned.

At the faint sound of groaning, the two men focused their attention back on the only female in the room, silently agreeing to continue their conversation when there wasn't a third set of ears to hear them.

xXx

Kaoru was bored out of her mind, in fact, she had absolutely _nothing_ to do except wait for her husband to finish his work in silence. Her seven course meal had only lasted so long, and even then she hadn't really been that hungry when she started. The only interruption between now and when she had regained consciousness was when her new servants came in to clear the table and serve them tea.

All six Vampires had formally introduced themselves to her in the normal attire of the Castle servants. She did, however, notice that their black uniforms were sewn with golden thread instead of the normal white--no doubt to announce their servitude to the King and Queen.

Apparently, during the time in which she had been unconscious, Battousai had already been acquainted with their new servants: Misao, Omasu, Okon, Shiro, Kuro, and Yahiko. She knew, without even having known them for that long, that each one had a certain area of expertise apart from being servants. Even she, a human, could feel their hidden power and secret talents, especially from the Vampires named Misao and Yahiko. The way the two had swept the food away with ease and control told her more than enough of their hand skills. Then again, Battousai wouldn't let just anyone serve him.

Half lying and half sitting on the chaise, Kaoru yawned as she stretched and stared up at the scarlet ceiling. If she were back at home, she'd probably be asleep right now, or at least preparing for tomorrow's herb gathering.

Kaoru smiled at the thought, blinking rapidly when she felt something wet on her cheeks. She hadn't even been aware that she was crying until now.

Wiping away her tears, Kaoru mentally scolded herself. She should be happy that she was no longer fighting to survive one day at a time, yet here she was mourning for the past. However, she couldn't deny that she missed the simplicity of life with her grandfather.

Kaoru fingered the sapphire around her neck and smiled when she felt a warm glow wash through her. It was a comfort to know that she at least had one weapon to protect herself with in the Vampiric world she was now forced to live in. And as long as she had Amaterasu's protection, she didn't have to fear anyone.

She glanced over at the silhouette of her significant other.

'_Well, almost anyone.'_

In silence, she watched as his eyes and hands constantly skimmed over the piles and piles of paper that littered his desk. Not once did he complain about the workload, or demand someone else do it for him–-he simply remained quiet and got the work done, much like the servants that served **_him_**.

This was not how she had pictured things would be, how Battousai would be. All her life, she had been raised with stories of how her King was a merciless, cold-blooded killer that did nothing but slaughter for his own entertainment, but here before her very eyes was **_the _**Vampire of those stories, doing paperwork.

Kaoru felt her lips twitch upward. What would people think if they knew that their feared villain was working with ink instead of blood?

Moving her legs over the side of the chaise, Kaoru continued her examination of her husband almost enviously. To be able to do what he was doing so effortlessly required the ability to read and write--skills that she didn't possess.

Kaoru sighed as she stared longingly at the shelves of books surrounding her in the King's Working Room. She couldn't read a single word printed on the bindings that formed an endless pattern of black and silver on the wall, but she knew that within each and every single one of them was a secret. They were all written in a language she could not comprehend on her own, a code that she could never decipher.

She smiled sadly at her lack of knowledge.

Staring down at her hands, Kaoru slowly traced the character of her first name on her left palm over and over again.

The only reason why she knew how to read and write her own name is because she was named after a princess of centuries ago.

From all of the tales her grandfather had recited to her when she was younger, Kaoru knew that Princess Kaoru had been very much loved by her people. The loyalty of her people ran so deep that they preserved and passed down her legacy to their own children, who in turn told their children, and so on. Even to this day, the tales of Princess Kaoru were popular amongst the toddlers, whom were taught by their storytellers how to read and write her name. In order to spite their Vampire conquerors, and the laws forbidding them to learn, almost every single human on Earth knew how to read and write at least one character. This character wasn't just a symbol of rebellion, but also one of hope.

Kaoru smiled bitterly. Ironic how the girl possessing the famed Princess's name was now their Queen.

Once again, Kaoru glanced up at Battousai, who didn't seem like he was going to stop working any time soon.

Tentatively, she stood up and the walked the short distance to the steps that would lead her up to the red-haired Vampire.

Through her bangs, Kaoru kept her eyes on her husband as she walked up the three steps to his work area, where her previously steeled courage promptly melted.

"If you want something, then don't hesitate to ask," said Battousai, his eyes never leaving the scroll he was currently reading.

Blushing, Kaoru glued her eyes to her high heels, wringing her fingers out of habit as she tried to think of a way to word her request without sounding like a complete idiot.

Sighing when nothing came to mind, Kaoru shook her head and took a step backwards, making sure to avoid the small staircase. She was a fool to even think of proposing such a preposterous idea.

"I apologize," said Kaoru with a bow, "I didn't mean to bother you, My Lord."

Battousai finally looked up from his work at her formality, not use to his wife being so obedient and respectful, let alone so thoughtful when it came to him. There was always at least a small hint of sarcasm in her voice when she spoke to him, yet now, she sounded almost sincere. It was rather unnerving.

"What did you want?" demanded Battousai as he set the piece of parchment down and faced her.

Kaoru recoiled almost unnoticeably under his scrutiny, but stubbornly refused to break away from his piercing gaze.

Squaring her shoulders, Kaoru stated firmly, "I do not wish to trouble you with my problems, Your Majesty." She gave another bow. "I apologize for not thinking properly before I came to you, My Lord. I'll leave you be to your--"

"I did not ask for excuses, kitten," cut off Battousai with narrowed eyes, "I asked what **_you_** wanted."

Kaoru wanted no more than to race down the three steps and curl back up on the scarlet chaise, under the ebony blanket, but her body refused to move to her will. It was if someone had chained her legs to the ground and forced her eyes open so that she couldn't tear her gaze away from liquid pools of fire.

Swallowing, Kaoru did her best not to blush as she quietly, almost shyly, answered, "I–I wanted to ask you to–to teach me how to read and write."

xXx


End file.
